Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

1996 Mercedes-Benz E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
68.4%
Latest Pass Rate
3,875
Total Tests (All Years)
124,018 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 E as it ages.

21 yrs63.6%
22 yrs62.8%
23 yrs71.2%
24 yrs70.6%
25 yrs66.3%
26 yrs70.0%
27 yrs68.8%
28 yrs68.4%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs63.6%428
22 yrs62.8%239
23 yrs71.2%215
24 yrs70.6%153
25 yrs66.3%703
26 yrs70.0%544
27 yrs68.8%554
28 yrs68.4%1,039

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 Mercedes-Benz E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (28 yrs)68.4%1,039
2023 (27 yrs)68.8%554
2022 (26 yrs)70%544
2021 (25 yrs)66.3%703
2020 (24 yrs)70.6%153
2019 (23 yrs)71.2%215
2018 (22 yrs)62.8%239
2017 (21 yrs)63.6%428

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate
63.6%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 428Avg Mileage 116,492Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 45.6%
2018High Fail Rate
62.8%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 239Avg Mileage 113,991Top Failure Brakes — 46.4%
2019
71.2%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 215Avg Mileage 116,088Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 30.2%
2020
70.6%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 153Avg Mileage 109,471Top Failure Brakes — 32.7%
2021
66.3%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 703Avg Mileage 125,996Top Failure Brakes — 44.0%
2022
70.0%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 544Avg Mileage 125,818Top Failure Suspension — 38.4%
2023
68.8%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 554Avg Mileage 124,991Top Failure Suspension — 33.9%
2024
68.4%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 1,039Avg Mileage 124,018Top Failure Brakes — 33.6%

Common MOT Failures

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

Suspension
34.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
34.6%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
32.7%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
31.2%
↓ Decreases with age
Noise, emissions and leaks
19.3%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension38.8% (21 yrs)24.5% (28 yrs)
-14.3%
🟢 ↓
Brakes30.8% (21 yrs)33.6% (28 yrs)
+2.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz E cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 3,875 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