1985 Mercedes 230 Ce — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years

Current Age

64.5%

Latest Pass Rate

838

Total Tests (All Years)

123,790 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 1985 Mercedes 230 Ce as it ages.

24 yrs53.5%

→ ↑6.8%

25 yrs60.3%

→ ↓6.5%

26 yrs53.8%

→ ↑5.2%

27 yrs59.0%

→ ↑3.2%

28 yrs62.2%

→ ↓3.0%

29 yrs59.2%

→ ↑0.5%

30 yrs59.7%

→ ↓0.9%

31 yrs58.8%

→ ↑5.7%

32 yrs64.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
24 yrs	53.5%	142
25 yrs	60.3%	116
26 yrs	53.8%	104
27 yrs	59.0%	100
28 yrs	62.2%	90
29 yrs	59.2%	98
30 yrs	59.7%	77
31 yrs	58.8%	80
32 yrs	64.5%	31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Mercedes 230 Ce pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (32 yrs)	64.5%	31
2016 (31 yrs)	58.8%	80
2015 (30 yrs)	59.7%	77
2014 (29 yrs)	59.2%	98
2013 (28 yrs)	62.2%	90
2012 (27 yrs)	59%	100
2011 (26 yrs)	53.8%	104
2010 (25 yrs)	60.3%	116
2009 (24 yrs)	53.5%	142

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

53.5%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 142Avg Mileage 119,887Top Failure Brakes — 21.1%

2010High Fail Rate

60.3%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 116Avg Mileage 122,298Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.1%

2011High Fail Rate

53.8%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 104Avg Mileage 121,028Top Failure Suspension — 27.9%

2012High Fail Rate

59.0%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 100Avg Mileage 119,575Top Failure Suspension — 29.0%

2013High Fail Rate

62.2%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 90Avg Mileage 116,934Top Failure Suspension — 56.7%

2014High Fail Rate

59.2%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 98Avg Mileage 121,253Top Failure Suspension — 77.6%

2015High Fail Rate

59.7%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 77Avg Mileage 119,526Top Failure Brakes — 55.8%

2016High Fail Rate

58.8%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 80Avg Mileage 123,976Top Failure Suspension — 71.3%

2017High Fail Rate

64.5%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 31Avg Mileage 123,790Top Failure Suspension — 61.3%

MOT results for 1985 Mercedes 230 Ce by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	24	53.5%	142	119,887	Brakes — 21.1%
2010	25	60.3%	116	122,298	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.1%
2011	26	53.8%	104	121,028	Suspension — 27.9%
2012	27	59.0%	100	119,575	Suspension — 29.0%
2013	28	62.2%	90	116,934	Suspension — 56.7%
2014	29	59.2%	98	121,253	Suspension — 77.6%
2015	30	59.7%	77	119,526	Brakes — 55.8%
2016	31	58.8%	80	123,976	Suspension — 71.3%
2017	32	64.5%	31	123,790	Suspension — 61.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 Mercedes 230 Ce, with age trends.

Suspension

45.7%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

34.6%

— Consistent

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

30.2%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

22.9%

↑ Increases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

19.0%

↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	20.4% (24 yrs)	61.3% (32 yrs)	+40.9%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	16.9% (24 yrs)	29.0% (32 yrs)	+12.1%	🔴 ↑
Body, Structure and General Items	16.2% (24 yrs)	22.6% (32 yrs)	+6.4%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	21.1% (24 yrs)	22.6% (32 yrs)	+1.5%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

← Back to Mercedes 230 Ce overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 230 Ce page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 230 Ce cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 838 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.