1990 Mercedes 230 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1990 perform at MOT as they age

36 years

Current Age

63.0%

Latest Pass Rate

1,830

Total Tests (All Years)

104,335 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 1990 Mercedes 230 E as it ages.

19 yrs61.8%

→ ↓5.8%

20 yrs56.0%

→ ↑6.7%

21 yrs62.7%

→ ↑0.5%

22 yrs63.2%

→ ↑2.4%

23 yrs65.6%

→ ↑0.6%

24 yrs66.2%

→ ↑5.9%

25 yrs72.1%

→ ↓9.1%

26 yrs63.0%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
19 yrs	61.8%	411
20 yrs	56.0%	334
21 yrs	62.7%	276
22 yrs	63.2%	228
23 yrs	65.6%	180
24 yrs	66.2%	145
25 yrs	72.1%	129
26 yrs	63.0%	127

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1990 Mercedes 230 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (26 yrs)	63%	127
2015 (25 yrs)	72.1%	129
2014 (24 yrs)	66.2%	145
2013 (23 yrs)	65.6%	180
2012 (22 yrs)	63.2%	228
2011 (21 yrs)	62.7%	276
2010 (20 yrs)	56%	334
2009 (19 yrs)	61.8%	411

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

61.8%

Age (yrs) 19Tests 411Avg Mileage 117,911Top Failure Brakes — 19.0%

2010High Fail Rate

56.0%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 334Avg Mileage 116,755Top Failure Suspension — 22.2%

2011High Fail Rate

62.7%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 276Avg Mileage 115,623Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.6%

2012High Fail Rate

63.2%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 228Avg Mileage 113,719Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7%

2013

65.6%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 180Avg Mileage 112,472Top Failure Brakes — 42.8%

2014

66.2%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 145Avg Mileage 107,718Top Failure Brakes — 51.7%

2015

72.1%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 129Avg Mileage 107,418Top Failure Brakes — 31.0%

2016High Fail Rate

63.0%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 127Avg Mileage 104,335Top Failure Suspension — 43.3%

MOT results for 1990 Mercedes 230 E by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	19	61.8%	411	117,911	Brakes — 19.0%
2010	20	56.0%	334	116,755	Suspension — 22.2%
2011	21	62.7%	276	115,623	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.6%
2012	22	63.2%	228	113,719	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7%
2013	23	65.6%	180	112,472	Brakes — 42.8%
2014	24	66.2%	145	107,718	Brakes — 51.7%
2015	25	72.1%	129	107,418	Brakes — 31.0%
2016	26	63.0%	127	104,335	Suspension — 43.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1990 Mercedes 230 E, with age trends.

Brakes

29.2%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

26.7%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

21.4%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

11.3%

↓ Decreases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

11.2%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	16.8% (19 yrs)	43.3% (26 yrs)	+26.5%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	19.0% (19 yrs)	33.9% (26 yrs)	+14.9%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	18.0% (19 yrs)	30.7% (26 yrs)	+12.7%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	11.9% (19 yrs)	8.7% (26 yrs)	-3.2%	🟢 ↓
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	11.4% (19 yrs)	11.8% (26 yrs)	+0.4%	⚪ —

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 1990 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,830 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.