1997 Mercedes-Benz 208 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years

Current Age

58.7%

Latest Pass Rate

583

Total Tests (All Years)

147,736 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 1997 Mercedes-Benz 208 as it ages.

20 yrs46.8%

→ ↓0.2%

21 yrs46.6%

→ ↑8.3%

22 yrs54.9%

→ ↓9.1%

23 yrs45.8%

→ ↑5.6%

24 yrs51.4%

→ ↑9.3%

25 yrs60.7%

→ ↓6.7%

26 yrs54.0%

→ ↑4.7%

27 yrs58.7%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
20 yrs	46.8%	124
21 yrs	46.6%	58
22 yrs	54.9%	51
23 yrs	45.8%	48
24 yrs	51.4%	74
25 yrs	60.7%	56
26 yrs	54.0%	63
27 yrs	58.7%	109

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 208 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2024 (27 yrs)	58.7%	109
2023 (26 yrs)	54%	63
2022 (25 yrs)	60.7%	56
2021 (24 yrs)	51.4%	74
2020 (23 yrs)	45.8%	48
2019 (22 yrs)	54.9%	51
2018 (21 yrs)	46.6%	58
2017 (20 yrs)	46.8%	124

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate

46.8%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 124Avg Mileage 159,747Top Failure Suspension — 109.7%

2018High Fail Rate

46.6%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 58Avg Mileage 162,056Top Failure Suspension — 87.9%

2019High Fail Rate

54.9%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 51Avg Mileage 156,893Top Failure Suspension — 88.2%

2020High Fail Rate

45.8%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 48Avg Mileage 156,151Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 110.4%

2021High Fail Rate

51.4%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 74Avg Mileage 154,718Top Failure Suspension — 94.6%

2022High Fail Rate

60.7%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 56Avg Mileage 146,143Top Failure Suspension — 98.2%

2023High Fail Rate

54.0%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 63Avg Mileage 159,034Top Failure Suspension — 101.6%

2024High Fail Rate

58.7%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 109Avg Mileage 147,736Top Failure Suspension — 57.8%

MOT results for 1997 Mercedes-Benz 208 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2017	20	46.8%	124	159,747	Suspension — 109.7%
2018	21	46.6%	58	162,056	Suspension — 87.9%
2019	22	54.9%	51	156,893	Suspension — 88.2%
2020	23	45.8%	48	156,151	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 110.4%
2021	24	51.4%	74	154,718	Suspension — 94.6%
2022	25	60.7%	56	146,143	Suspension — 98.2%
2023	26	54.0%	63	159,034	Suspension — 101.6%
2024	27	58.7%	109	147,736	Suspension — 57.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Mercedes-Benz 208, with age trends.

Suspension

92.5%

↓ Decreases with age

Brakes

79.9%

↓ Decreases with age

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

66.5%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

53.4%

↓ Decreases with age

Body, chassis, structure

47.5%

↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	109.7% (20 yrs)	57.8% (27 yrs)	-51.9%	🟢 ↓
Brakes	107.3% (20 yrs)	56.9% (27 yrs)	-50.4%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

← Back to Mercedes-Benz 208 overview

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About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz 208 cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 583 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.