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1996 Mercedes-Benz C — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
75.0%
Latest Pass Rate
4,270
Total Tests (All Years)
106,248 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 1996 Mercedes-Benz C as it ages.

21 yrs63.3%
22 yrs66.0%
23 yrs61.9%
24 yrs70.1%
25 yrs70.1%
26 yrs70.4%
27 yrs72.8%
28 yrs75.0%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 21 to 28 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs63.3%668
22 yrs66.0%368
23 yrs61.9%294
24 yrs70.1%244
25 yrs70.1%733
26 yrs70.4%507
27 yrs72.8%493
28 yrs75.0%963

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 Mercedes-Benz C 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 (28 yrs)75%963
2023 (27 yrs)72.8%493
2022 (26 yrs)70.4%507
2021 (25 yrs)70.1%733
2020 (24 yrs)70.1%244
2019 (23 yrs)61.9%294
2018 (22 yrs)66%368
2017 (21 yrs)63.3%668

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate
63.3%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 668Avg Mileage 123,057Top Failure Brakes — 40.0%
2018
66.0%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 368Avg Mileage 122,001Top Failure Suspension — 36.4%
2019High Fail Rate
61.9%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 294Avg Mileage 118,614Top Failure Suspension — 49.0%
2020
70.1%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 244Avg Mileage 117,985Top Failure Brakes — 45.5%
2021
70.1%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 733Avg Mileage 111,066Top Failure Brakes — 41.5%
2022
70.4%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 507Avg Mileage 111,046Top Failure Suspension — 46.0%
2023
72.8%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 493Avg Mileage 108,067Top Failure Brakes — 38.3%
2024
75.0%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 963Avg Mileage 106,248Top Failure Brakes — 28.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1996 Mercedes-Benz C, with age trends.

Brakes
39.4%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
37.4%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
30.1%
— Consistent
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
25.1%
— Consistent
Noise, emissions and leaks
18.0%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes40.0% (21 yrs)28.9% (28 yrs)
-11.1%
🟢 ↓
Suspension35.9% (21 yrs)26.1% (28 yrs)
-9.8%
🟢 ↓
Tyres18.6% (21 yrs)13.0% (28 yrs)
-5.6%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz C cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 4,270 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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