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1996 Mercedes-Benz Sl — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
82.8%
Latest Pass Rate
4,007
Total Tests (All Years)
93,857 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 Sl as it ages.

21 yrs78.9%
22 yrs78.2%
23 yrs75.8%
24 yrs82.3%
25 yrs80.1%
26 yrs80.8%
27 yrs79.6%
28 yrs82.8%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs78.9%346
22 yrs78.2%248
23 yrs75.8%236
24 yrs82.3%232
25 yrs80.1%608
26 yrs80.8%532
27 yrs79.6%598
28 yrs82.8%1,207

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (28 yrs)82.8%1,207
2023 (27 yrs)79.6%598
2022 (26 yrs)80.8%532
2021 (25 yrs)80.1%608
2020 (24 yrs)82.3%232
2019 (23 yrs)75.8%236
2018 (22 yrs)78.2%248
2017 (21 yrs)78.9%346

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017
78.9%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 346Avg Mileage 92,304Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.8%
2018
78.2%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 248Avg Mileage 92,430Top Failure Brakes — 23.0%
2019
75.8%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 236Avg Mileage 96,697Top Failure Brakes — 25.8%
2020
82.3%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 232Avg Mileage 97,464Top Failure Suspension — 20.7%
2021
80.1%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 608Avg Mileage 93,328Top Failure Brakes — 19.6%
2022
80.8%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 532Avg Mileage 92,546Top Failure Brakes — 22.4%
2023
79.6%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 598Avg Mileage 94,136Top Failure Brakes — 22.1%
2024
82.8%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 1,207Avg Mileage 93,857Top Failure Brakes — 12.2%

Common MOT Failures

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

Brakes
20.1%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
15.5%
— Consistent
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
15.4%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
13.1%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
11.4%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes16.8% (21 yrs)12.2% (28 yrs)
-4.6%
🟢 ↓
Suspension12.4% (21 yrs)9.9% (28 yrs)
-2.5%
🟢 ↓
Tyres6.6% (21 yrs)9.1% (28 yrs)
+2.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz Sl cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 4,007 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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