1982 Mercedes 230 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1982 perform at MOT as they age

44 years

Current Age

60.0%

Latest Pass Rate

933

Total Tests (All Years)

133,331 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 1982 Mercedes 230 E as it ages.

27 yrs55.7%

→ ↑5.9%

28 yrs61.6%

→ ↓0.5%

29 yrs61.1%

→ ↑0.2%

30 yrs61.3%

→ ↓5.4%

31 yrs55.9%

→ ↑2.4%

32 yrs58.3%

→ ↑1.7%

33 yrs60.0%

→ ↓0.0%

34 yrs60.0%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
27 yrs	55.7%	158
28 yrs	61.6%	138
29 yrs	61.1%	131
30 yrs	61.3%	111
31 yrs	55.9%	102
32 yrs	58.3%	103
33 yrs	60.0%	100
34 yrs	60.0%	90

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1982 Mercedes 230 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (34 yrs)	60%	90
2015 (33 yrs)	60%	100
2014 (32 yrs)	58.3%	103
2013 (31 yrs)	55.9%	102
2012 (30 yrs)	61.3%	111
2011 (29 yrs)	61.1%	131
2010 (28 yrs)	61.6%	138
2009 (27 yrs)	55.7%	158

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

55.7%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 158Avg Mileage 123,540Top Failure Suspension — 24.1%

2010High Fail Rate

61.6%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 138Avg Mileage 123,006Top Failure Suspension — 19.6%

2011High Fail Rate

61.1%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 131Avg Mileage 124,301Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.4%

2012High Fail Rate

61.3%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 111Avg Mileage 127,281Top Failure Suspension — 26.1%

2013High Fail Rate

55.9%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 102Avg Mileage 128,993Top Failure Suspension — 55.9%

2014High Fail Rate

58.3%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 103Avg Mileage 128,158Top Failure Suspension — 57.3%

2015High Fail Rate

60.0%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 100Avg Mileage 129,286Top Failure Suspension — 39.0%

2016High Fail Rate

60.0%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 90Avg Mileage 133,331Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 48.9%

MOT results for 1982 Mercedes 230 E by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	27	55.7%	158	123,540	Suspension — 24.1%
2010	28	61.6%	138	123,006	Suspension — 19.6%
2011	29	61.1%	131	124,301	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.4%
2012	30	61.3%	111	127,281	Suspension — 26.1%
2013	31	55.9%	102	128,993	Suspension — 55.9%
2014	32	58.3%	103	128,158	Suspension — 57.3%
2015	33	60.0%	100	129,286	Suspension — 39.0%
2016	34	60.0%	90	133,331	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 48.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1982 Mercedes 230 E, with age trends.

Suspension

33.7%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

30.1%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

27.9%

↑ Increases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

15.8%

↑ Increases with age

Steering

15.5%

↓ 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
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	20.3% (27 yrs)	48.9% (34 yrs)	+28.6%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	24.1% (27 yrs)	46.7% (34 yrs)	+22.6%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	24.1% (27 yrs)	31.1% (34 yrs)	+7.0%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	17.7% (27 yrs)	21.1% (34 yrs)	+3.4%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1997

← Back to Mercedes 230 E overview

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 230 E cars manufactured in 1982 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 933 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.