1997 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years

Current Age

57.8%

Latest Pass Rate

2,096

Total Tests (All Years)

170,031 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 Sprinter as it ages.

20 yrs49.3%

→ ↓1.2%

21 yrs48.1%

→ ↓2.8%

22 yrs45.3%

→ ↑8.8%

23 yrs54.1%

→ ↓3.2%

24 yrs50.9%

→ ↑5.5%

25 yrs56.4%

→ ↑0.9%

26 yrs57.3%

→ ↑0.5%

27 yrs57.8%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
20 yrs	49.3%	268
21 yrs	48.1%	154
22 yrs	45.3%	128
23 yrs	54.1%	109
24 yrs	50.9%	318
25 yrs	56.4%	243
26 yrs	57.3%	274
27 yrs	57.8%	602

Pass Rate Trend

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

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2024 (27 yrs)	57.8%	602
2023 (26 yrs)	57.3%	274
2022 (25 yrs)	56.4%	243
2021 (24 yrs)	50.9%	318
2020 (23 yrs)	54.1%	109
2019 (22 yrs)	45.3%	128
2018 (21 yrs)	48.1%	154
2017 (20 yrs)	49.3%	268

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2017High Fail Rate

49.3%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 268Avg Mileage 191,444Top Failure Brakes — 118.3%

2018High Fail Rate

48.1%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 154Avg Mileage 189,483Top Failure Brakes — 110.4%

2019High Fail Rate

45.3%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 128Avg Mileage 172,471Top Failure Brakes — 84.4%

2020High Fail Rate

54.1%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 109Avg Mileage 171,100Top Failure Suspension — 102.8%

2021High Fail Rate

50.9%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 318Avg Mileage 177,796Top Failure Brakes — 99.7%

2022High Fail Rate

56.4%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 243Avg Mileage 170,014Top Failure Brakes — 78.6%

2023High Fail Rate

57.3%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 274Avg Mileage 162,737Top Failure Brakes — 96.7%

2024High Fail Rate

57.8%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 602Avg Mileage 170,031Top Failure Brakes — 57.3%

MOT results for 1997 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2017	20	49.3%	268	191,444	Brakes — 118.3%
2018	21	48.1%	154	189,483	Brakes — 110.4%
2019	22	45.3%	128	172,471	Brakes — 84.4%
2020	23	54.1%	109	171,100	Suspension — 102.8%
2021	24	50.9%	318	177,796	Brakes — 99.7%
2022	25	56.4%	243	170,014	Brakes — 78.6%
2023	26	57.3%	274	162,737	Brakes — 96.7%
2024	27	57.8%	602	170,031	Brakes — 57.3%

Common MOT Failures

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

Brakes

93.5%

↓ Decreases with age

Suspension

80.7%

↓ Decreases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

69.6%

↓ Decreases with age

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

66.0%

— Consistent

Body, chassis, structure

43.3%

↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	118.3% (20 yrs)	57.3% (27 yrs)	-61.0%	🟢 ↓
Suspension	103.4% (20 yrs)	53.3% (27 yrs)	-50.1%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2017 to 2024, covering 2,096 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.