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2003 Mercedes-Benz S — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years
Current Age
68.8%
Latest Pass Rate
1,047
Total Tests (All Years)
129,603 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 17

This car: 68.8%
Average: 53.5%

✅ 15.3% above average (9249 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S as it ages.

14 yrs72.4%
15 yrs75.1%
16 yrs69.5%
17 yrs68.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 14 to 17 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
14 yrs72.4%366
15 yrs75.1%237
16 yrs69.5%236
17 yrs68.8%208

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 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 (17 yrs)68.8%208
2019 (16 yrs)69.5%236
2018 (15 yrs)75.1%237
2017 (14 yrs)72.4%366

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
72.4%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 366Avg Mileage 126,754Top Failure Brakes — 29.0%
2018
75.1%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 237Avg Mileage 126,169Top Failure Brakes — 30.8%
2019
69.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 236Avg Mileage 132,662Top Failure Suspension — 38.6%
2020
68.8%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 208Avg Mileage 129,603Top Failure Suspension — 36.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes-Benz S, with age trends.

Suspension
31.7%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
31.5%
— Consistent
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
22.1%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
21.4%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
14.4%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension27.0% (14 yrs)36.5% (17 yrs)
+9.5%
🔴 ↑
Tyres18.3% (14 yrs)23.1% (17 yrs)
+4.8%
🔴 ↑
Brakes29.0% (14 yrs)27.9% (17 yrs)
-1.1%
⚪ —

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 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2020, covering 1,047 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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