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1988 Mercedes 250 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years
Current Age
51.2%
Latest Pass Rate
158
Total Tests (All Years)
193,613 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 1988 Mercedes 250 as it ages.

21 yrs58.2%
22 yrs52.1%
23 yrs51.2%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 21 to 23 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs58.2%67
22 yrs52.1%48
23 yrs51.2%43

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Mercedes 250 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 3 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2011 (23 yrs)51.2%43
2010 (22 yrs)52.1%48
2009 (21 yrs)58.2%67

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
58.2%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 67Avg Mileage 169,524Top Failure Suspension — 22.4%
2010High Fail Rate
52.1%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 48Avg Mileage 173,127Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 27.1%
2011High Fail Rate
51.2%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 43Avg Mileage 193,613Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 27.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes 250, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
25.8%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
23.7%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
20.3%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
11.8%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
11.6%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes14.9% (21 yrs)20.9% (23 yrs)
+6.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension22.4% (21 yrs)27.9% (23 yrs)
+5.5%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment22.4% (21 yrs)27.9% (23 yrs)
+5.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 250 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 250 cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2011, covering 158 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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