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1990 Mercedes 230 Te — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1990 perform at MOT as they age

36 years
Current Age
58.7%
Latest Pass Rate
1,359
Total Tests (All Years)
162,292 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 Te as it ages.

19 yrs50.0%
20 yrs53.1%
21 yrs43.7%
22 yrs46.5%
23 yrs59.6%
24 yrs56.5%
25 yrs64.7%
26 yrs58.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 19 to 26 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
19 yrs50.0%350
20 yrs53.1%271
21 yrs43.7%199
22 yrs46.5%157
23 yrs59.6%114
24 yrs56.5%108
25 yrs64.7%85
26 yrs58.7%75

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (26 yrs)58.7%75
2015 (25 yrs)64.7%85
2014 (24 yrs)56.5%108
2013 (23 yrs)59.6%114
2012 (22 yrs)46.5%157
2011 (21 yrs)43.7%199
2010 (20 yrs)53.1%271
2009 (19 yrs)50%350

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 350Avg Mileage 159,599Top Failure Brakes — 29.7%
2010High Fail Rate
53.1%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 271Avg Mileage 157,637Top Failure Brakes — 30.3%
2011High Fail Rate
43.7%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 199Avg Mileage 157,624Top Failure Brakes — 32.7%
2012High Fail Rate
46.5%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 157Avg Mileage 160,904Top Failure Suspension — 30.6%
2013High Fail Rate
59.6%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 114Avg Mileage 154,886Top Failure Brakes — 65.8%
2014High Fail Rate
56.5%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 108Avg Mileage 162,003Top Failure Brakes — 55.6%
2015High Fail Rate
64.7%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 85Avg Mileage 155,939Top Failure Brakes — 52.9%
2016High Fail Rate
58.7%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 75Avg Mileage 162,292Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 53.3%

Common MOT Failures

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

Brakes
43.3%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
38.1%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
36.9%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
22.8%
— Consistent
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
20.8%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment25.7% (19 yrs)53.3% (26 yrs)
+27.6%
🔴 ↑
Brakes29.7% (19 yrs)50.7% (26 yrs)
+21.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension21.4% (19 yrs)34.7% (26 yrs)
+13.3%
🔴 ↑
Tyres16.3% (19 yrs)13.3% (26 yrs)
-3.0%
🟢 ↓
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions18.9% (19 yrs)17.3% (26 yrs)
-1.6%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

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 1990 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,359 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.

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