1981 Mercedes-Benz 280 — MOT History by Age
How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Insufficient data for same-age comparison.
How This Car Ages
Pass rate progression for the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280 as it ages.
Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 36 to 43 years
📊 View as table
| Age | Pass Rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 36 yrs | 67.4% | 95 |
| 37 yrs | 69.9% | 73 |
| 38 yrs | 73.5% | 83 |
| 39 yrs | 70.7% | 58 |
| 40 yrs | 78.9% | 76 |
| 41 yrs | 81.6% | 38 |
| 42 yrs | 76.7% | 30 |
| 43 yrs | 81.0% | 42 |
Pass Rate Trend
How the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.
Trend shows stable over 8 years
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| Built | Pass Rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 (43 yrs) | 81% | 42 |
| 2023 (42 yrs) | 76.7% | 30 |
| 2022 (41 yrs) | 81.6% | 38 |
| 2021 (40 yrs) | 78.9% | 76 |
| 2020 (39 yrs) | 70.7% | 58 |
| 2019 (38 yrs) | 73.5% | 83 |
| 2018 (37 yrs) | 69.9% | 73 |
| 2017 (36 yrs) | 67.4% | 95 |
Year-by-Year MOT Results
Common MOT Failures
Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280, with age trends.
How Failures Change With Age
Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.
| Category | At Youngest | At Oldest | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 25.3% (36 yrs) | 4.8% (43 yrs) | -20.5%
| 🟢 ↓ |
| Suspension | 15.8% (36 yrs) | 4.8% (43 yrs) | -11.0%
| 🟢 ↓ |
Other Manufacture Years
Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes-Benz 280 page →
About This Data
This page shows how Mercedes-Benz 280 cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 495 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.