1989 Mercedes 230 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years

Current Age

56.3%

Latest Pass Rate

1,825

Total Tests (All Years)

122,355 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 1989 Mercedes 230 E as it ages.

20 yrs58.7%

→ ↑3.8%

21 yrs62.5%

→ ↑4.7%

22 yrs67.2%

→ ↓7.6%

23 yrs59.6%

→ ↑2.4%

24 yrs62.0%

→ ↑3.0%

25 yrs65.0%

→ ↑2.6%

26 yrs67.6%

→ ↑4.9%

27 yrs72.5%

→ ↓16.2%

28 yrs56.3%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
20 yrs	58.7%	407
21 yrs	62.5%	299
22 yrs	67.2%	253
23 yrs	59.6%	208
24 yrs	62.0%	184
25 yrs	65.0%	163
26 yrs	67.6%	148
27 yrs	72.5%	131
28 yrs	56.3%	32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Mercedes 230 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (28 yrs)	56.3%	32
2016 (27 yrs)	72.5%	131
2015 (26 yrs)	67.6%	148
2014 (25 yrs)	65%	163
2013 (24 yrs)	62%	184
2012 (23 yrs)	59.6%	208
2011 (22 yrs)	67.2%	253
2010 (21 yrs)	62.5%	299
2009 (20 yrs)	58.7%	407

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

58.7%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 407Avg Mileage 125,671Top Failure Brakes — 21.9%

2010High Fail Rate

62.5%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 299Avg Mileage 123,011Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.1%

2011

67.2%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 253Avg Mileage 121,281Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.6%

2012High Fail Rate

59.6%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 208Avg Mileage 118,966Top Failure Suspension — 19.2%

2013High Fail Rate

62.0%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 184Avg Mileage 120,265Top Failure Brakes — 51.1%

2014

65.0%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 163Avg Mileage 119,278Top Failure Brakes — 46.6%

2015

67.6%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 148Avg Mileage 123,279Top Failure Brakes — 33.8%

2016

72.5%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 131Avg Mileage 120,900Top Failure Brakes — 27.5%

2017High Fail Rate

56.3%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 32Avg Mileage 122,355Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 62.5%

MOT results for 1989 Mercedes 230 E by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	20	58.7%	407	125,671	Brakes — 21.9%
2010	21	62.5%	299	123,011	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.1%
2011	22	67.2%	253	121,281	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.6%
2012	23	59.6%	208	118,966	Suspension — 19.2%
2013	24	62.0%	184	120,265	Brakes — 51.1%
2014	25	65.0%	163	119,278	Brakes — 46.6%
2015	26	67.6%	148	123,279	Brakes — 33.8%
2016	27	72.5%	131	120,900	Brakes — 27.5%
2017	28	56.3%	32	122,355	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 62.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Mercedes 230 E, with age trends.

Brakes

27.7%

↓ Decreases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

26.4%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

24.9%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

16.6%

↑ Increases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

12.5%

— Consistent

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	15.7% (20 yrs)	62.5% (28 yrs)	+46.8%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	18.4% (20 yrs)	43.8% (28 yrs)	+25.4%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	12.0% (20 yrs)	28.1% (28 yrs)	+16.1%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	21.9% (20 yrs)	18.8% (28 yrs)	-3.1%	🟢 ↓

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 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,825 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.