The Mercedes Benz B Class is a tall compact family model closely related to the A Class, offering easier access and more cabin space in an MPV influenced body. The B Class had a distinct role in the Mercedes Benz range, giving buyers a reason to choose it beyond the badge alone. The B Class spent much of its life as practical transport, so continued usefulness, condition and the appeal of unusual engines or trims now matter more than its former showroom position.
DECLINING
Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.
69,028licensed vehicles 2025 census
90.9% of the peak fleet remains licensed
3,203
declared SORN
total surviving
peak 75,973 in 2021 ·
−1,792 vehicles a year, five year trend
Population history
Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. The filters below apply to the family population, MOT and registration figures. They do not alter the generation history above.
LicensedSORNLatest census observationSOURCE DVLA VEH0120 / VEH0220
At the average decline recorded over the latest five years, the licensed fleet would reach zero around 2063.
Illustrative projection only; vehicle populations rarely decline linearly. Late fleets typically flatten as surviving examples enter preservation.
Inside the surviving fleet
AutoCensus parses every DVLA variant description, so the fleet can be read by fuel and specification rather than as one number.
Fuel · share of licensed fleet
First registrations by year
When surviving examples first joined the British fleet.
New registrations
Vehicles first registered each year. A fleet still being sold shows here; a finished one shows only imports.
MOT reliability
DVSA test results for this family, 2008 to 2025.
Pass rate by year
Failure reason
Failures
Share of all tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
23
3.9%
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
18
3.0%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
14
2.4%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
14
2.4%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
12
2.0%
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
11
1.9%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
10
1.7%
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative
8
1.4%
Counted across every recorded test, 2008 to 2025. Advisories are excluded.
Where the B Class remains
Based on MOT test locations, 2025. Test location is a proxy: a vehicle is counted where it was last tested, not where it is kept.
Population history combines DVLA VEH0120 Q4 census observations through 2013 with the annual VEH0220 census from 2014 onward. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Historical VEH0120 is used only when its overlapping UK observations reconcile to the current canonical family definition. Vehicles are grouped into this family using the DVLA GenModel together with durable routing rules for known inconsistencies.
Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. Configuration is only assigned where the model description explicitly identifies it; a blank configuration is not treated as a two door Wrangler. Blank transmission fields are shown as manual because DVLA records the field for automatic vehicles.
MOT figures count tests, not vehicles, and geographic figures count each vehicle at its most recent test location. The decline projection is a straight line fitted to the latest five years and is illustrative only.