1988 Mercedes-Benz 230 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years

Current Age

69.2%

Latest Pass Rate

531

Total Tests (All Years)

108,555 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 1988 Mercedes-Benz 230 as it ages.

29 yrs68.3%

→ ↓2.7%

30 yrs65.6%

→ ↓2.9%

31 yrs62.7%

→ ↑1.9%

32 yrs64.6%

→ ↓0.0%

33 yrs64.6%

→ ↑3.6%

34 yrs68.2%

→ ↑2.0%

35 yrs70.2%

→ ↓1.0%

36 yrs69.2%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
29 yrs	68.3%	82
30 yrs	65.6%	64
31 yrs	62.7%	51
32 yrs	64.6%	48
33 yrs	64.6%	65
34 yrs	68.2%	44
35 yrs	70.2%	57
36 yrs	69.2%	120

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 230 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2024 (36 yrs)	69.2%	120
2023 (35 yrs)	70.2%	57
2022 (34 yrs)	68.2%	44
2021 (33 yrs)	64.6%	65
2020 (32 yrs)	64.6%	48
2019 (31 yrs)	62.7%	51
2018 (30 yrs)	65.6%	64
2017 (29 yrs)	68.3%	82

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017

68.3%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 82Avg Mileage 121,678Top Failure Suspension — 46.3%

2018

65.6%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 64Avg Mileage 120,719Top Failure Suspension — 56.3%

2019High Fail Rate

62.7%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 51Avg Mileage 119,990Top Failure Brakes — 43.1%

2020High Fail Rate

64.6%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 48Avg Mileage 122,941Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 37.5%

2021High Fail Rate

64.6%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 65Avg Mileage 109,270Top Failure Suspension — 30.8%

2022

68.2%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 44Avg Mileage 106,798Top Failure Brakes — 38.6%

2023

70.2%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 57Avg Mileage 104,883Top Failure Brakes — 56.1%

2024

69.2%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 120Avg Mileage 108,555Top Failure Suspension — 34.2%

MOT results for 1988 Mercedes-Benz 230 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2017	29	68.3%	82	121,678	Suspension — 46.3%
2018	30	65.6%	64	120,719	Suspension — 56.3%
2019	31	62.7%	51	119,990	Brakes — 43.1%
2020	32	64.6%	48	122,941	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 37.5%
2021	33	64.6%	65	109,270	Suspension — 30.8%
2022	34	68.2%	44	106,798	Brakes — 38.6%
2023	35	70.2%	57	104,883	Brakes — 56.1%
2024	36	69.2%	120	108,555	Suspension — 34.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes-Benz 230, with age trends.

Brakes

38.0%

↓ Decreases with age

Suspension

37.4%

↓ Decreases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

26.8%

— Consistent

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

24.1%

↑ Increases with age

Body, chassis, structure

22.1%

↓ Decreases 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	46.3% (29 yrs)	34.2% (36 yrs)	-12.1%	🟢 ↓
Brakes	37.8% (29 yrs)	32.5% (36 yrs)	-5.3%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

1964 1965 1966 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

← Back to Mercedes-Benz 230 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes-Benz 230 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz 230 cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 531 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.