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1997 Mercedes-Benz E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
66.0%
Latest Pass Rate
3,729
Total Tests (All Years)
105,581 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 E as it ages.

20 yrs57.5%
21 yrs58.1%
22 yrs58.9%
23 yrs62.9%
24 yrs66.5%
25 yrs66.6%
26 yrs68.2%
27 yrs66.0%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs57.5%756
21 yrs58.1%430
22 yrs58.9%336
23 yrs62.9%264
24 yrs66.5%522
25 yrs66.6%386
26 yrs68.2%380
27 yrs66.0%655

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows stable over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (27 yrs)66%655
2023 (26 yrs)68.2%380
2022 (25 yrs)66.6%386
2021 (24 yrs)66.5%522
2020 (23 yrs)62.9%264
2019 (22 yrs)58.9%336
2018 (21 yrs)58.1%430
2017 (20 yrs)57.5%756

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate
57.5%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 756Avg Mileage 124,322Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 56.2%
2018High Fail Rate
58.1%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 430Avg Mileage 121,556Top Failure Suspension — 60.0%
2019High Fail Rate
58.9%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 336Avg Mileage 122,382Top Failure Suspension — 61.6%
2020High Fail Rate
62.9%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 264Avg Mileage 122,722Top Failure Suspension — 56.1%
2021
66.5%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 522Avg Mileage 111,615Top Failure Suspension — 56.1%
2022
66.6%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 386Avg Mileage 111,789Top Failure Suspension — 50.8%
2023
68.2%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 380Avg Mileage 111,095Top Failure Suspension — 48.4%
2024
66.0%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 655Avg Mileage 105,581Top Failure Suspension — 64.3%

Common MOT Failures

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

Suspension
56.1%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
43.0%
— Consistent
Brakes
40.6%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
38.4%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
22.3%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension51.6% (20 yrs)64.3% (27 yrs)
+12.7%
🔴 ↑
Tyres20.6% (20 yrs)18.0% (27 yrs)
-2.6%
🟢 ↓
Brakes37.3% (20 yrs)35.0% (27 yrs)
-2.3%
🟢 ↓

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 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 3,729 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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