Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

1987 Mercedes-Benz 420 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1987 perform at MOT as they age

39 years
Current Age
85.4%
Latest Pass Rate
1,049
Total Tests (All Years)
90,919 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 1987 Mercedes-Benz 420 as it ages.

30 yrs78.7%
31 yrs73.1%
32 yrs77.3%
33 yrs84.3%
34 yrs74.4%
35 yrs80.1%
36 yrs78.1%
37 yrs85.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 30 to 37 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
30 yrs78.7%122
31 yrs73.1%78
32 yrs77.3%97
33 yrs84.3%70
34 yrs74.4%164
35 yrs80.1%141
36 yrs78.1%151
37 yrs85.4%226

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1987 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 (37 yrs)85.4%226
2023 (36 yrs)78.1%151
2022 (35 yrs)80.1%141
2021 (34 yrs)74.4%164
2020 (33 yrs)84.3%70
2019 (32 yrs)77.3%97
2018 (31 yrs)73.1%78
2017 (30 yrs)78.7%122

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
78.7%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 122Avg Mileage 96,918Top Failure Brakes — 17.2%
2018
73.1%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 78Avg Mileage 101,560Top Failure Suspension — 29.5%
2019
77.3%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 97Avg Mileage 97,998Top Failure Brakes — 18.6%
2020
84.3%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 70Avg Mileage 103,366Top Failure Suspension — 20.0%
2021
74.4%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 164Avg Mileage 97,146Top Failure Suspension — 33.5%
2022
80.1%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 141Avg Mileage 98,334Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 21.3%
2023
78.1%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 151Avg Mileage 93,348Top Failure Suspension — 29.1%
2024
85.4%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 226Avg Mileage 90,919Top Failure Suspension — 29.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1987 Mercedes-Benz 420, with age trends.

Suspension
24.2%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
18.7%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
17.9%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
14.0%
↓ Decreases with age
Body, chassis, structure
11.3%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension14.8% (30 yrs)29.2% (37 yrs)
+14.4%
🔴 ↑
Brakes17.2% (30 yrs)24.3% (37 yrs)
+7.1%
🔴 ↑

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 1987 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 1,049 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.

Share via WhatsApp Share on Facebook Report Issue