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1986 Mercedes 230 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age

40 years
Current Age
71.9%
Latest Pass Rate
491
Total Tests (All Years)
104,247 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 1986 Mercedes 230 E as it ages.

23 yrs62.0%
24 yrs60.2%
25 yrs64.3%
26 yrs65.5%
27 yrs69.8%
28 yrs60.9%
29 yrs65.9%
30 yrs71.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 23 to 30 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
23 yrs62.0%108
24 yrs60.2%83
25 yrs64.3%70
26 yrs65.5%58
27 yrs69.8%53
28 yrs60.9%46
29 yrs65.9%41
30 yrs71.9%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1986 Mercedes 230 E 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
2016 (30 yrs)71.9%32
2015 (29 yrs)65.9%41
2014 (28 yrs)60.9%46
2013 (27 yrs)69.8%53
2012 (26 yrs)65.5%58
2011 (25 yrs)64.3%70
2010 (24 yrs)60.2%83
2009 (23 yrs)62%108

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
62.0%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 108Avg Mileage 108,684Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.6%
2010High Fail Rate
60.2%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 83Avg Mileage 107,690Top Failure Suspension — 22.9%
2011High Fail Rate
64.3%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 70Avg Mileage 109,901Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.6%
2012
65.5%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 58Avg Mileage 107,139Top Failure Suspension — 19.0%
2013
69.8%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 53Avg Mileage 103,756Top Failure Suspension — 28.3%
2014High Fail Rate
60.9%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 46Avg Mileage 102,879Top Failure Brakes — 39.1%
2015
65.9%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 41Avg Mileage 107,332Top Failure Suspension — 34.1%
2016
71.9%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 32Avg Mileage 104,247Top Failure Suspension — 40.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1986 Mercedes 230 E, with age trends.

Suspension
27.1%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
22.3%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
19.9%
↓ Decreases with age
Steering
15.8%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
13.4%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension15.7% (23 yrs)40.6% (30 yrs)
+24.9%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment17.6% (23 yrs)9.4% (30 yrs)
-8.2%
🟢 ↓
Brakes16.7% (23 yrs)21.9% (30 yrs)
+5.2%
🔴 ↑
Tyres11.1% (23 yrs)9.4% (30 yrs)
-1.7%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

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 1986 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 491 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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