UK vehicle statistics / Mercedes

How many Mercedes S Class cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 22,113 licensed and 8,999 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Mercedes S Class generic-model group.

Looking at a S Class?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular S Class is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the S Class disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 31,145 in 2017 Q2 and stand at 22,113 in 2026 Q1, down 29%. That is down 20% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 8,999 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 31,112 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

S Class MOT pass rate

In 2024, 82.3% of 23,346 Mercedes S Class MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 91.7% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 73.4% aged 15–30 years.

  • Suspension Arms — 4% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Condition — 3.5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 2.8% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Tread Depth — 2.3% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Mercedes S Class MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Suspension Arms — 4% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Condition — 3.5% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 2.8% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Tread Depth — 2.3% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 31,112 S Class vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (8,999 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 29% from the 2017 Q2 peak of 31,145. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual S Class — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q122,1138,999
2025 Q422,4558,855
2025 Q322,7838,688
2025 Q223,0358,562
2025 Q123,3888,511
2024 Q423,5948,431
2024 Q324,1518,298
2024 Q224,4518,218
2024 Q124,6728,157
2023 Q425,1217,983
2023 Q325,5817,678
2023 Q225,8787,460
2023 Q126,0957,398
2022 Q426,5457,354
2022 Q326,8817,153
2022 Q227,2486,982
2022 Q127,4056,970
2021 Q427,7516,903
2021 Q328,0756,747
2021 Q228,1446,737
2021 Q127,6466,823
2020 Q427,4966,752
2020 Q327,8076,552
2020 Q227,4636,606
2020 Q128,0436,488
2019 Q428,8675,941
2019 Q329,1385,692
2019 Q229,2475,444
2019 Q129,4875,333
2018 Q429,6655,231
2018 Q330,0694,865
2018 Q230,1834,640
2018 Q130,3314,593
2017 Q430,5404,477
2017 Q330,8944,199
2017 Q231,1454,067
2017 Q130,8763,895
2016 Q430,5983,760
2016 Q330,4613,446
2016 Q230,1373,300
2016 Q129,8973,281
2015 Q429,4883,138
2015 Q329,4682,867
2015 Q229,0882,731
2015 Q128,7952,658
2014 Q428,5232,567
2014 Q328,9602,307

Other Mercedes models

See how many of every Mercedes model are left

Common questions

How many Mercedes S Class cars are left in the UK?

22,113 were licensed and 8,999 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Mercedes S Class cars are SORN?

8,999 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 31,112 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the S Class disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 31,145 in 2017 Q2 and stand at 22,113 in 2026 Q1, down 29%. That is down 20% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 8,999 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 31,112 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Mercedes S Class MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 82.3% of 23,346 Mercedes S Class MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the S Class fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are suspension arms (4% of tests), condition (3.5% of tests), exhaust emissions (2.8% of tests).

Does this say whether one S Class is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.