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1986 Mercedes-Benz 300 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age

40 years
Current Age
74.2%
Latest Pass Rate
1,489
Total Tests (All Years)
98,652 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 300 as it ages.

31 yrs68.1%
32 yrs70.8%
33 yrs69.9%
34 yrs81.0%
35 yrs75.7%
36 yrs74.8%
37 yrs81.0%
38 yrs74.2%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 31 to 38 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
31 yrs68.1%204
32 yrs70.8%137
33 yrs69.9%156
34 yrs81.0%116
35 yrs75.7%177
36 yrs74.8%155
37 yrs81.0%168
38 yrs74.2%376

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows stable over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (38 yrs)74.2%376
2023 (37 yrs)81%168
2022 (36 yrs)74.8%155
2021 (35 yrs)75.7%177
2020 (34 yrs)81%116
2019 (33 yrs)69.9%156
2018 (32 yrs)70.8%137
2017 (31 yrs)68.1%204

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
68.1%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 204Avg Mileage 99,815Top Failure Suspension — 35.3%
2018
70.8%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 137Avg Mileage 98,281Top Failure Suspension — 36.5%
2019
69.9%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 156Avg Mileage 98,958Top Failure Suspension — 45.5%
2020
81.0%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 116Avg Mileage 100,764Top Failure Suspension — 29.3%
2021
75.7%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 177Avg Mileage 98,416Top Failure Suspension — 36.7%
2022
74.8%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 155Avg Mileage 96,781Top Failure Suspension — 26.5%
2023
81.0%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 168Avg Mileage 96,354Top Failure Brakes — 21.4%
2024
74.2%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 376Avg Mileage 98,652Top Failure Suspension — 29.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300, with age trends.

Suspension
31.9%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
27.5%
— Consistent
Brakes
21.7%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
20.6%
— Consistent
Body, chassis, structure
14.1%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension35.3% (31 yrs)29.0% (38 yrs)
-6.3%
🟢 ↓
Brakes16.2% (31 yrs)20.7% (38 yrs)
+4.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes-Benz 300 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz 300 cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 1,489 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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