Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

1989 Mercedes-Benz 420 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
88.3%
Latest Pass Rate
906
Total Tests (All Years)
99,340 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 420

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1989 Mercedes-Benz 420 as it ages.

28 yrs76.6%
29 yrs75.7%
30 yrs81.8%
31 yrs85.5%
32 yrs76.4%
33 yrs77.1%
34 yrs82.9%
35 yrs88.3%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 28 to 35 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
28 yrs76.6%107
29 yrs75.7%74
30 yrs81.8%77
31 yrs85.5%62
32 yrs76.4%127
33 yrs77.1%109
34 yrs82.9%111
35 yrs88.3%239

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 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 (35 yrs)88.3%239
2023 (34 yrs)82.9%111
2022 (33 yrs)77.1%109
2021 (32 yrs)76.4%127
2020 (31 yrs)85.5%62
2019 (30 yrs)81.8%77
2018 (29 yrs)75.7%74
2017 (28 yrs)76.6%107

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
76.6%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 107Avg Mileage 100,355Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 27.1%
2018
75.7%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 74Avg Mileage 99,284Top Failure Suspension — 33.8%
2019
81.8%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 77Avg Mileage 103,406Top Failure Suspension — 39.0%
2020
85.5%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 62Avg Mileage 92,179Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 12.9%
2021
76.4%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 127Avg Mileage 101,403Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 23.6%
2022
77.1%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 109Avg Mileage 97,774Top Failure Suspension — 25.7%
2023
82.9%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 111Avg Mileage 97,219Top Failure Suspension — 18.9%
2024
88.3%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 239Avg Mileage 99,340Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 6.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Mercedes-Benz 420, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
27.1%
— Consistent
Suspension
21.3%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
18.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
14.4%
↓ Decreases with age
Driver's View of the Road
12.1%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes23.4% (28 yrs)4.6% (35 yrs)
-18.8%
🟢 ↓
Suspension20.6% (28 yrs)4.6% (35 yrs)
-16.0%
🟢 ↓

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 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 906 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