1985 Mercedes 230 Te — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years

Current Age

51.3%

Latest Pass Rate

418

Total Tests (All Years)

151,772 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 1985 Mercedes 230 Te as it ages.

24 yrs55.4%

→ ↓8.3%

25 yrs47.1%

→ ↑7.4%

26 yrs54.5%

→ ↓6.4%

27 yrs48.1%

→ ↑3.0%

28 yrs51.1%

→ ↑6.4%

29 yrs57.5%

→ ↓11.2%

30 yrs46.3%

→ ↑5.0%

31 yrs51.3%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
24 yrs	55.4%	74
25 yrs	47.1%	70
26 yrs	54.5%	55
27 yrs	48.1%	54
28 yrs	51.1%	45
29 yrs	57.5%	40
30 yrs	46.3%	41
31 yrs	51.3%	39

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Mercedes 230 Te pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (31 yrs)	51.3%	39
2015 (30 yrs)	46.3%	41
2014 (29 yrs)	57.5%	40
2013 (28 yrs)	51.1%	45
2012 (27 yrs)	48.1%	54
2011 (26 yrs)	54.5%	55
2010 (25 yrs)	47.1%	70
2009 (24 yrs)	55.4%	74

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

55.4%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 74Avg Mileage 148,508Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.7%

2010High Fail Rate

47.1%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 70Avg Mileage 146,769Top Failure Suspension — 31.4%

2011High Fail Rate

54.5%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 55Avg Mileage 150,289Top Failure Suspension — 27.3%

2012High Fail Rate

48.1%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 54Avg Mileage 144,526Top Failure Suspension — 29.6%

2013High Fail Rate

51.1%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 45Avg Mileage 144,081Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 82.2%

2014High Fail Rate

57.5%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 40Avg Mileage 137,861Top Failure Suspension — 65.0%

2015High Fail Rate

46.3%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 41Avg Mileage 152,278Top Failure Suspension — 107.3%

2016High Fail Rate

51.3%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 39Avg Mileage 151,772Top Failure Suspension — 87.2%

MOT results for 1985 Mercedes 230 Te by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	24	55.4%	74	148,508	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.7%
2010	25	47.1%	70	146,769	Suspension — 31.4%
2011	26	54.5%	55	150,289	Suspension — 27.3%
2012	27	48.1%	54	144,526	Suspension — 29.6%
2013	28	51.1%	45	144,081	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 82.2%
2014	29	57.5%	40	137,861	Suspension — 65.0%
2015	30	46.3%	41	152,278	Suspension — 107.3%
2016	31	51.3%	39	151,772	Suspension — 87.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 Mercedes 230 Te, with age trends.

Suspension

52.8%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

48.0%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

42.7%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

29.2%

↑ Increases with age

Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems

28.2%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	14.9% (24 yrs)	87.2% (31 yrs)	+72.3%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	21.6% (24 yrs)	71.8% (31 yrs)	+50.2%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	25.7% (24 yrs)	71.8% (31 yrs)	+46.1%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993

← Back to Mercedes 230 Te overview

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 230 Te cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 418 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.