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1986 Mercedes-Benz 420 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age

40 years
Current Age
79.6%
Latest Pass Rate
667
Total Tests (All Years)
101,756 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 420 as it ages.

31 yrs68.8%
32 yrs62.1%
33 yrs72.3%
34 yrs77.3%
35 yrs73.6%
36 yrs67.5%
37 yrs85.1%
38 yrs79.6%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
31 yrs68.8%77
32 yrs62.1%58
33 yrs72.3%47
34 yrs77.3%44
35 yrs73.6%91
36 yrs67.5%77
37 yrs85.1%87
38 yrs79.6%186

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 420 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 (38 yrs)79.6%186
2023 (37 yrs)85.1%87
2022 (36 yrs)67.5%77
2021 (35 yrs)73.6%91
2020 (34 yrs)77.3%44
2019 (33 yrs)72.3%47
2018 (32 yrs)62.1%58
2017 (31 yrs)68.8%77

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
68.8%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 77Avg Mileage 99,798Top Failure Suspension — 31.2%
2018High Fail Rate
62.1%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 58Avg Mileage 102,621Top Failure Brakes — 51.7%
2019
72.3%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 47Avg Mileage 98,553Top Failure Suspension — 29.8%
2020
77.3%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 44Avg Mileage 98,427Top Failure Suspension — 27.3%
2021
73.6%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 91Avg Mileage 104,537Top Failure Suspension — 49.5%
2022
67.5%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 77Avg Mileage 98,295Top Failure Suspension — 39.0%
2023
85.1%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 87Avg Mileage 97,782Top Failure Suspension — 20.7%
2024
79.6%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 186Avg Mileage 101,756Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 19.4%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1986 Mercedes-Benz 420, with age trends.

Suspension
30.7%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
23.6%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
21.4%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
21.0%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
17.6%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension31.2% (31 yrs)11.8% (38 yrs)
-19.4%
🟢 ↓
Brakes18.2% (31 yrs)9.7% (38 yrs)
-8.5%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes-Benz 420 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz 420 cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 667 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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