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1986 Mercedes-Benz 280 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age

40 years
Current Age
58.3%
Latest Pass Rate
66
Total Tests (All Years)
120,976 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 1986 Mercedes-Benz 280 as it ages.

At 35 years: 60.0% pass rate · At 38 years: 58.3% pass rate

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 35 to 38 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
35 yrs60.0%30
38 yrs58.3%36

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows stable over 2 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (38 yrs)58.3%36
2021 (35 yrs)60%30

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2021High Fail Rate
60.0%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 30Avg Mileage 107,267Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 73.3%
2024High Fail Rate
58.3%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 36Avg Mileage 120,976Top Failure Suspension — 88.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1986 Mercedes-Benz 280, with age trends.

Suspension
62.8%
↑ Increases with age
Body, chassis, structure
53.3%
— Consistent
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
50.6%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
44.4%
— Consistent
Brakes
28.7%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension36.7% (35 yrs)88.9% (38 yrs)
+52.2%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment73.3% (35 yrs)27.8% (38 yrs)
-45.5%
🟢 ↓
Noise, emissions and leaks16.7% (35 yrs)33.3% (38 yrs)
+16.6%
🔴 ↑
Brakes26.7% (35 yrs)30.6% (38 yrs)
+3.9%
🔴 ↑

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 1986 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2021 to 2024, covering 66 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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