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1996 Mercedes-Benz 208 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
69.6%
Latest Pass Rate
568
Total Tests (All Years)
154,413 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 208

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1996 Mercedes-Benz 208 as it ages.

21 yrs50.4%
22 yrs54.7%
23 yrs44.7%
24 yrs55.6%
25 yrs67.9%
26 yrs66.0%
27 yrs59.6%
28 yrs69.6%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 21 to 28 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs50.4%113
22 yrs54.7%64
23 yrs44.7%47
24 yrs55.6%36
25 yrs67.9%56
26 yrs66.0%47
27 yrs59.6%47
28 yrs69.6%158

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 Mercedes-Benz 208 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (28 yrs)69.6%158
2023 (27 yrs)59.6%47
2022 (26 yrs)66%47
2021 (25 yrs)67.9%56
2020 (24 yrs)55.6%36
2019 (23 yrs)44.7%47
2018 (22 yrs)54.7%64
2017 (21 yrs)50.4%113

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate
50.4%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 113Avg Mileage 157,292Top Failure Brakes — 84.1%
2018High Fail Rate
54.7%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 64Avg Mileage 165,311Top Failure Brakes — 95.3%
2019High Fail Rate
44.7%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 47Avg Mileage 141,141Top Failure Suspension — 104.3%
2020High Fail Rate
55.6%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 36Avg Mileage 139,005Top Failure Brakes — 83.3%
2021
67.9%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 56Avg Mileage 142,934Top Failure Suspension — 75.0%
2022
66.0%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 47Avg Mileage 155,710Top Failure Brakes — 48.9%
2023High Fail Rate
59.6%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 47Avg Mileage 145,640Top Failure Brakes — 61.7%
2024
69.6%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 158Avg Mileage 154,413Top Failure Brakes — 42.4%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1996 Mercedes-Benz 208, with age trends.

Brakes
70.5%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
63.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
57.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
50.6%
↓ Decreases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
44.2%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension77.9% (21 yrs)18.4% (28 yrs)
-59.5%
🟢 ↓
Brakes84.1% (21 yrs)42.4% (28 yrs)
-41.7%
🟢 ↓
Tyres20.4% (21 yrs)19.0% (28 yrs)
-1.4%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes-Benz 208 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz 208 cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 568 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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