1988 Mercedes 230 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years

Current Age

74.3%

Latest Pass Rate

1,047

Total Tests (All Years)

112,730 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 230 E

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1988 Mercedes 230 E as it ages.

21 yrs58.9%

→ ↑2.7%

22 yrs61.6%

→ ↑4.6%

23 yrs66.2%

→ ↓6.0%

24 yrs60.2%

→ ↓2.3%

25 yrs57.9%

→ ↓0.3%

26 yrs57.6%

→ ↑12.3%

27 yrs69.9%

→ ↑4.4%

28 yrs74.3%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
21 yrs	58.9%	241
22 yrs	61.6%	177
23 yrs	66.2%	154
24 yrs	60.2%	123
25 yrs	57.9%	107
26 yrs	57.6%	92
27 yrs	69.9%	83
28 yrs	74.3%	70

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Mercedes 230 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (28 yrs)	74.3%	70
2015 (27 yrs)	69.9%	83
2014 (26 yrs)	57.6%	92
2013 (25 yrs)	57.9%	107
2012 (24 yrs)	60.2%	123
2011 (23 yrs)	66.2%	154
2010 (22 yrs)	61.6%	177
2009 (21 yrs)	58.9%	241

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

58.9%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 241Avg Mileage 119,426Top Failure Suspension — 22.8%

2010High Fail Rate

61.6%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 177Avg Mileage 125,538Top Failure Brakes — 22.0%

2011

66.2%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 154Avg Mileage 118,109Top Failure Suspension — 17.5%

2012High Fail Rate

60.2%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 123Avg Mileage 118,741Top Failure Suspension — 19.5%

2013High Fail Rate

57.9%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 107Avg Mileage 112,744Top Failure Suspension — 51.4%

2014High Fail Rate

57.6%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 92Avg Mileage 112,360Top Failure Brakes — 63.0%

2015

69.9%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 83Avg Mileage 112,576Top Failure Brakes — 38.6%

2016

74.3%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 70Avg Mileage 112,730Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 28.6%

MOT results for 1988 Mercedes 230 E by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	21	58.9%	241	119,426	Suspension — 22.8%
2010	22	61.6%	177	125,538	Brakes — 22.0%
2011	23	66.2%	154	118,109	Suspension — 17.5%
2012	24	60.2%	123	118,741	Suspension — 19.5%
2013	25	57.9%	107	112,744	Suspension — 51.4%
2014	26	57.6%	92	112,360	Brakes — 63.0%
2015	27	69.9%	83	112,576	Brakes — 38.6%
2016	28	74.3%	70	112,730	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 28.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes 230 E, with age trends.

Brakes

30.9%

— Consistent

Suspension

29.0%

— Consistent

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

22.8%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

16.2%

↓ Decreases with age

Steering

14.3%

↑ 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
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	21.2% (21 yrs)	28.6% (28 yrs)	+7.4%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	13.3% (21 yrs)	10.0% (28 yrs)	-3.3%	🟢 ↓
Suspension	22.8% (21 yrs)	25.7% (28 yrs)	+2.9%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	9.5% (21 yrs)	11.4% (28 yrs)	+1.9%	⚪ —
Brakes	22.4% (21 yrs)	22.9% (28 yrs)	+0.5%	⚪ —

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 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,047 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.