1989 Mercedes 230 Te — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years

Current Age

62.0%

Latest Pass Rate

904

Total Tests (All Years)

143,108 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 230 Te

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1989 Mercedes 230 Te as it ages.

20 yrs49.2%

→ ↑2.4%

21 yrs51.6%

→ ↓3.1%

22 yrs48.5%

→ ↑0.4%

23 yrs48.9%

→ ↑4.4%

24 yrs53.3%

→ ↑3.2%

25 yrs56.5%

→ ↑8.2%

26 yrs64.7%

→ ↓2.7%

27 yrs62.0%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
20 yrs	49.2%	258
21 yrs	51.6%	182
22 yrs	48.5%	136
23 yrs	48.9%	90
24 yrs	53.3%	75
25 yrs	56.5%	62
26 yrs	64.7%	51
27 yrs	62.0%	50

Pass Rate Trend

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

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (27 yrs)	62%	50
2015 (26 yrs)	64.7%	51
2014 (25 yrs)	56.5%	62
2013 (24 yrs)	53.3%	75
2012 (23 yrs)	48.9%	90
2011 (22 yrs)	48.5%	136
2010 (21 yrs)	51.6%	182
2009 (20 yrs)	49.2%	258

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

49.2%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 258Avg Mileage 156,059Top Failure Brakes — 28.7%

2010High Fail Rate

51.6%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 182Avg Mileage 150,692Top Failure Brakes — 25.3%

2011High Fail Rate

48.5%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 136Avg Mileage 156,198Top Failure Brakes — 25.7%

2012High Fail Rate

48.9%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 90Avg Mileage 150,562Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 32.2%

2013High Fail Rate

53.3%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 75Avg Mileage 146,325Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 48.0%

2014High Fail Rate

56.5%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 62Avg Mileage 141,054Top Failure Brakes — 53.2%

2015High Fail Rate

64.7%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 51Avg Mileage 139,093Top Failure Suspension — 49.0%

2016High Fail Rate

62.0%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 50Avg Mileage 143,108Top Failure Brakes — 46.0%

MOT results for 1989 Mercedes 230 Te by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	20	49.2%	258	156,059	Brakes — 28.7%
2010	21	51.6%	182	150,692	Brakes — 25.3%
2011	22	48.5%	136	156,198	Brakes — 25.7%
2012	23	48.9%	90	150,562	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 32.2%
2013	24	53.3%	75	146,325	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 48.0%
2014	25	56.5%	62	141,054	Brakes — 53.2%
2015	26	64.7%	51	139,093	Suspension — 49.0%
2016	27	62.0%	50	143,108	Brakes — 46.0%

Common MOT Failures

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

Brakes

35.7%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

33.5%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

30.6%

— Consistent

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

19.3%

↓ Decreases with age

Steering

17.8%

↑ 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
Brakes	28.7% (20 yrs)	46.0% (27 yrs)	+17.3%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	22.5% (20 yrs)	38.0% (27 yrs)	+15.5%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	19.8% (20 yrs)	10.0% (27 yrs)	-9.8%	🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	27.5% (20 yrs)	26.0% (27 yrs)	-1.5%	⚪ —

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 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 904 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.