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1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years
Current Age
77.4%
Latest Pass Rate
3,486
Total Tests (All Years)
93,950 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 300 as it ages.

29 yrs74.0%
30 yrs72.6%
31 yrs70.7%
32 yrs78.3%
33 yrs73.8%
34 yrs76.3%
35 yrs76.9%
36 yrs77.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 29 to 36 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
29 yrs74.0%503
30 yrs72.6%328
31 yrs70.7%338
32 yrs78.3%272
33 yrs73.8%420
34 yrs76.3%359
35 yrs76.9%386
36 yrs77.4%880

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (36 yrs)77.4%880
2023 (35 yrs)76.9%386
2022 (34 yrs)76.3%359
2021 (33 yrs)73.8%420
2020 (32 yrs)78.3%272
2019 (31 yrs)70.7%338
2018 (30 yrs)72.6%328
2017 (29 yrs)74%503

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
74.0%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 503Avg Mileage 99,327Top Failure Brakes — 31.8%
2018
72.6%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 328Avg Mileage 100,720Top Failure Brakes — 27.4%
2019
70.7%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 338Avg Mileage 98,905Top Failure Suspension — 29.3%
2020
78.3%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 272Avg Mileage 99,079Top Failure Brakes — 21.3%
2021
73.8%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 420Avg Mileage 96,302Top Failure Suspension — 32.9%
2022
76.3%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 359Avg Mileage 98,938Top Failure Brakes — 35.9%
2023
76.9%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 386Avg Mileage 97,457Top Failure Suspension — 26.2%
2024
77.4%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 880Avg Mileage 93,950Top Failure Brakes — 18.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300, with age trends.

Brakes
27.3%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
23.8%
— Consistent
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
20.5%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
18.2%
↓ Decreases with age
Body, chassis, structure
14.3%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes31.8% (29 yrs)18.6% (36 yrs)
-13.2%
🟢 ↓
Suspension19.3% (29 yrs)18.0% (36 yrs)
-1.3%
⚪ —

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 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 3,486 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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