1988 Mercedes-Benz 280 — MOT History by Age
How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age
38 years
Current Age
56.1%
Latest Pass Rate
41
Total Tests (All Years)
53,932 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Insufficient data for same-age comparison.
How This Car Ages
📉
Insufficient data for this analysis
Pass Rate Trend
📊
Insufficient data for this analysis
Year-by-Year MOT Results
2024High Fail Rate
56.1%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 41Avg Mileage 53,932Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 34.1%
Common MOT Failures
Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes-Benz 280, with age trends.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
34.1%
— Consistent
Steering
22.0%
— Consistent
Suspension
19.5%
— Consistent
Body, chassis, structure
19.5%
— Consistent
Noise, emissions and leaks
12.2%
— Consistent
How Failures Change With Age
Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.
| Category | At Youngest | At Oldest | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 34.1% (36 yrs) | 34.1% (36 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Steering | 22.0% (36 yrs) | 22.0% (36 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Suspension | 19.5% (36 yrs) | 19.5% (36 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Body, chassis, structure | 19.5% (36 yrs) | 19.5% (36 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.2% (36 yrs) | 12.2% (36 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
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 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2024 to 2024, covering 41 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.