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1997 Mercedes-Benz C — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
72.9%
Latest Pass Rate
7,220
Total Tests (All Years)
119,093 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 1997 Mercedes-Benz C as it ages.

20 yrs61.7%
21 yrs60.3%
22 yrs63.7%
23 yrs69.7%
24 yrs70.6%
25 yrs70.1%
26 yrs72.2%
27 yrs72.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 20 to 27 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs61.7%1,061
21 yrs60.3%604
22 yrs63.7%498
23 yrs69.7%386
24 yrs70.6%1,275
25 yrs70.1%870
26 yrs72.2%874
27 yrs72.9%1,652

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 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 (27 yrs)72.9%1,652
2023 (26 yrs)72.2%874
2022 (25 yrs)70.1%870
2021 (24 yrs)70.6%1,275
2020 (23 yrs)69.7%386
2019 (22 yrs)63.7%498
2018 (21 yrs)60.3%604
2017 (20 yrs)61.7%1,061

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate
61.7%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 1,061Avg Mileage 130,064Top Failure Suspension — 44.4%
2018High Fail Rate
60.3%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 604Avg Mileage 132,320Top Failure Suspension — 55.1%
2019High Fail Rate
63.7%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 498Avg Mileage 133,417Top Failure Suspension — 51.4%
2020
69.7%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 386Avg Mileage 127,475Top Failure Brakes — 42.0%
2021
70.6%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 1,275Avg Mileage 120,853Top Failure Suspension — 41.7%
2022
70.1%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 870Avg Mileage 119,187Top Failure Suspension — 47.9%
2023
72.2%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 874Avg Mileage 119,047Top Failure Suspension — 54.0%
2024
72.9%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 1,652Avg Mileage 119,093Top Failure Suspension — 49.4%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Mercedes-Benz C, with age trends.

Suspension
47.4%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
40.3%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
31.1%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
28.3%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
20.1%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Tyres22.1% (20 yrs)13.7% (27 yrs)
-8.4%
🟢 ↓
Brakes40.8% (20 yrs)33.0% (27 yrs)
-7.8%
🟢 ↓
Suspension44.4% (20 yrs)49.4% (27 yrs)
+5.0%
🔴 ↑

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 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 7,220 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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