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1990 Mercedes 260 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1990 perform at MOT as they age

36 years
Current Age
70.6%
Latest Pass Rate
1,169
Total Tests (All Years)
115,877 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 260 E as it ages.

19 yrs69.2%
20 yrs61.1%
21 yrs65.7%
22 yrs68.1%
23 yrs66.1%
24 yrs61.3%
25 yrs70.9%
26 yrs70.6%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
19 yrs69.2%234
20 yrs61.1%208
21 yrs65.7%169
22 yrs68.1%144
23 yrs66.1%115
24 yrs61.3%111
25 yrs70.9%103
26 yrs70.6%85

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1990 Mercedes 260 E 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)70.6%85
2015 (25 yrs)70.9%103
2014 (24 yrs)61.3%111
2013 (23 yrs)66.1%115
2012 (22 yrs)68.1%144
2011 (21 yrs)65.7%169
2010 (20 yrs)61.1%208
2009 (19 yrs)69.2%234

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
69.2%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 234Avg Mileage 120,359Top Failure Brakes — 16.7%
2010High Fail Rate
61.1%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 208Avg Mileage 120,898Top Failure Brakes — 17.8%
2011
65.7%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 169Avg Mileage 116,284Top Failure Brakes — 18.3%
2012
68.1%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 144Avg Mileage 115,143Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.8%
2013
66.1%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 115Avg Mileage 113,343Top Failure Suspension — 47.0%
2014High Fail Rate
61.3%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 111Avg Mileage 114,405Top Failure Brakes — 38.7%
2015
70.9%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 103Avg Mileage 111,364Top Failure Suspension — 33.0%
2016
70.6%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 85Avg Mileage 115,877Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 28.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1990 Mercedes 260 E, with age trends.

Brakes
24.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
22.8%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
22.5%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
14.2%
— Consistent
Tyres
12.5%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment15.4% (19 yrs)28.2% (26 yrs)
+12.8%
🔴 ↑
Brakes16.7% (19 yrs)27.1% (26 yrs)
+10.4%
🔴 ↑
Suspension9.4% (19 yrs)14.1% (26 yrs)
+4.7%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions12.4% (19 yrs)11.8% (26 yrs)
-0.6%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 260 E page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 260 E cars manufactured in 1990 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,169 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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