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Pass Your MOT

1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 MOT Pass Rate

Pass rate for 190 models manufactured in 1986, based on 292 real MOT test results.

69.2%
Pass Rate
30.8%
Fail Rate
292
Total Tests
111,400
Avg Mileage

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

This page shows all 190 cars tested in 1986. Want to see how cars built in 1986 hold up over time?

View 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 vintage page โ†’ (87.7% current pass rate)

1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 MOT Analysis

The 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 has an MOT pass rate of 69.2% based on 292 tests โ€” slightly above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 111,400 miles on the odometer. With a 30.8% failure rate, the 1986 190 is rated as "Good" for MOT reliability.

The leading cause of MOT failure for the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 is Body, chassis, structure, responsible for 2.7% of failures. Body and structure failures include excessive corrosion, sharp edges, loose panels, and damage to the vehicle frame. Rust is the primary concern, especially on older vehicles or those exposed to road salt. Typical repair costs range from ยฃ100โ€“500+. Brakes is the second most common issue at 2.7%. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment follows at 2.1%.

Top failures specific to 1986 models only. The overall 190 page may show different rankings.

What Fails Most

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Body, Chassis, Structure2.7%8
2Brakes2.7%8
3Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment2.1%6
4Non-component Advisories0.7%2
5Suspension0.7%2
6Visibility0.7%2

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 111,400 mi

For every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.

Body & Structure0.25% per 10K miBrakes0.25% per 10K miLamps & Electrical0.18% per 10K miNon-component advisories0.06% per 10K miSuspension0.06% per 10K miVisibility0.06% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Body & Structure0.252.7%8
Brakes0.252.7%8
Lamps & Electrical0.182.1%6
Non-component advisories0.060.7%2
Suspension0.060.7%2
Visibility0.060.7%2

Mileage Statistics

111,400
Mean
100,532
Median
75,567
25th Percentile
132,662
75th Percentile
2.76% failures per 10K miles

Mileage-adjusted failure rate โ€” accounts for how much this model year is typically driven.

About This Data

The 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 has an MOT pass rate of 69.2% based on 292 tests โ€” slightly above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 111,400 miles on the odometer. With a 30.8% failure rate, the 1986 190 is rated as "Good" for MOT reliability.

If you own or are considering buying a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190, you can expect reliable MOT performance overall. Before your MOT, pay particular attention to body, chassis, structure: Inspect sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, and the chassis for rust. Surface rust is acceptable but structural corrosion or holes will fail. Check that all doors, bonnet, and boot close securely. With an average mileage of 111,400 miles, these vehicles are in the higher-mileage bracket where wear-related failures become more common.

Body, chassis, structure โ€” 2.7% of failures

Body, chassis, structure issues account for 2.7% of MOT failures on 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 models. Body and structure failures include excessive corrosion, sharp edges, loose panels, and damage to the vehicle frame. Rust is the primary concern, especially on older vehicles or those exposed to road salt. Typical repair costs: ยฃ100โ€“500+. Pre-MOT check: Inspect sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, and the chassis for rust. Surface rust is acceptable but structural corrosion or holes will fail. Check that all doors, bonnet, and boot close securely.

Brakes โ€” 2.7% of failures

Brakes issues account for 2.7% of MOT failures on 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 models. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components โ€” any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: ยฃ150โ€“400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel โ€” if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment โ€” 2.1% of failures

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 2.1% of MOT failures on 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190 models. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: ยฃ5โ€“50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light โ€” headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.

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

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