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1989 Austin Metro L — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
63.9%
Latest Pass Rate
436
Total Tests (All Years)
45,261 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1989 Austin Metro L as it ages.

20 yrs51.0%
21 yrs55.8%
22 yrs50.0%
23 yrs58.2%
24 yrs56.4%
25 yrs63.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 20 to 25 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs51.0%143
21 yrs55.8%95
22 yrs50.0%68
23 yrs58.2%55
24 yrs56.4%39
25 yrs63.9%36

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Austin Metro L pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 6 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2014 (25 yrs)63.9%36
2013 (24 yrs)56.4%39
2012 (23 yrs)58.2%55
2011 (22 yrs)50%68
2010 (21 yrs)55.8%95
2009 (20 yrs)51%143

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
51.0%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 143Avg Mileage 49,715Top Failure Suspension — 29.4%
2010High Fail Rate
55.8%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 95Avg Mileage 46,310Top Failure Suspension — 30.5%
2011High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 68Avg Mileage 59,701Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 26.5%
2012High Fail Rate
58.2%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 55Avg Mileage 44,182Top Failure Suspension — 29.1%
2013High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 39Avg Mileage 45,117Top Failure Suspension — 48.7%
2014High Fail Rate
63.9%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 36Avg Mileage 45,261Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Austin Metro L, with age trends.

Suspension
32.0%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
26.1%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
20.1%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
15.7%
— Consistent
Tyres
15.4%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes14.7% (20 yrs)33.3% (25 yrs)
+18.6%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment21.0% (20 yrs)38.9% (25 yrs)
+17.9%
🔴 ↑
Tyres16.1% (20 yrs)11.1% (25 yrs)
-5.0%
🟢 ↓
Suspension29.4% (20 yrs)27.8% (25 yrs)
-1.6%
⚪ —
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions17.5% (20 yrs)16.7% (25 yrs)
-0.8%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Austin Metro L page →

About This Data

This page shows how Austin Metro L cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2014, covering 436 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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