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1996 Mercedes-Benz S — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
64.1%
Latest Pass Rate
177
Total Tests (All Years)
112,974 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 S as it ages.

21 yrs68.5%
22 yrs76.9%
23 yrs73.3%
24 yrs64.1%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 21 to 24 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs68.5%54
22 yrs76.9%39
23 yrs73.3%45
24 yrs64.1%39

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows declining over 4 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2020 (24 yrs)64.1%39
2019 (23 yrs)73.3%45
2018 (22 yrs)76.9%39
2017 (21 yrs)68.5%54

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
68.5%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 54Avg Mileage 114,746Top Failure Suspension — 51.9%
2018
76.9%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 39Avg Mileage 116,319Top Failure Brakes — 28.2%
2019
73.3%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 45Avg Mileage 116,440Top Failure Brakes — 35.6%
2020High Fail Rate
64.1%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 39Avg Mileage 112,974Top Failure Suspension — 56.4%

Common MOT Failures

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

Brakes
40.1%
↑ Increases with age
Noise, emissions and leaks
38.5%
— Consistent
Suspension
37.0%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
26.7%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
19.2%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Tyres18.5% (21 yrs)41.0% (24 yrs)
+22.5%
🔴 ↑
Brakes42.6% (21 yrs)53.8% (24 yrs)
+11.2%
🔴 ↑
Suspension51.9% (21 yrs)56.4% (24 yrs)
+4.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz S cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2020, covering 177 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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