1997 Mercedes-Benz S — MOT History by Age
How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age
29 years
Current Age
54.1%
Latest Pass Rate
37
Total Tests (All Years)
107,418 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Compared to Average at Age 20
This car: 54.1%
Average: 56.6%
⚠️ 2.5% below average (6824 models compared)
How This Car Ages
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Insufficient data for this analysis
Pass Rate Trend
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Insufficient data for this analysis
Year-by-Year MOT Results
2017High Fail Rate
54.1%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 37Avg Mileage 107,418Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 64.9%
Common MOT Failures
Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Mercedes-Benz S, with age trends.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
64.9%
— Consistent
Brakes
27.0%
— Consistent
Driver's View of the Road
21.6%
— Consistent
Suspension
21.6%
— Consistent
Non-component advisories
16.2%
— Consistent
How Failures Change With Age
Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.
| Category | At Youngest | At Oldest | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment | 64.9% (20 yrs) | 64.9% (20 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Brakes | 27.0% (20 yrs) | 27.0% (20 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Driver's View of the Road | 21.6% (20 yrs) | 21.6% (20 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Suspension | 21.6% (20 yrs) | 21.6% (20 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
| Non-component advisories | 16.2% (20 yrs) | 16.2% (20 yrs) | 0.0%
| ⚪ — |
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 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2017, covering 37 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.