1991 Mercedes 260 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1991 perform at MOT as they age

35 years

Current Age

74.2%

Latest Pass Rate

996

Total Tests (All Years)

122,620 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 1991 Mercedes 260 E as it ages.

18 yrs61.1%

→ ↑6.8%

19 yrs67.9%

→ ↓4.9%

20 yrs63.0%

→ ↓5.6%

21 yrs57.4%

→ ↑10.6%

22 yrs68.0%

→ ↓1.7%

23 yrs66.3%

→ ↑3.3%

24 yrs69.6%

→ ↑4.6%

25 yrs74.2%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
18 yrs	61.1%	216
19 yrs	67.9%	184
20 yrs	63.0%	146
21 yrs	57.4%	122
22 yrs	68.0%	100
23 yrs	66.3%	83
24 yrs	69.6%	79
25 yrs	74.2%	66

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1991 Mercedes 260 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (25 yrs)	74.2%	66
2015 (24 yrs)	69.6%	79
2014 (23 yrs)	66.3%	83
2013 (22 yrs)	68%	100
2012 (21 yrs)	57.4%	122
2011 (20 yrs)	63%	146
2010 (19 yrs)	67.9%	184
2009 (18 yrs)	61.1%	216

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

61.1%

Age (yrs) 18Tests 216Avg Mileage 130,889Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.0%

2010

67.9%

Age (yrs) 19Tests 184Avg Mileage 126,862Top Failure Brakes — 18.5%

2011High Fail Rate

63.0%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 146Avg Mileage 126,596Top Failure Brakes — 19.9%

2012High Fail Rate

57.4%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 122Avg Mileage 125,985Top Failure Brakes — 25.4%

2013

68.0%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 100Avg Mileage 121,994Top Failure Brakes — 57.0%

2014

66.3%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 83Avg Mileage 127,764Top Failure Brakes — 48.2%

2015

69.6%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 79Avg Mileage 126,780Top Failure Brakes — 51.9%

2016

74.2%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 66Avg Mileage 122,620Top Failure Brakes — 56.1%

MOT results for 1991 Mercedes 260 E by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	18	61.1%	216	130,889	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.0%
2010	19	67.9%	184	126,862	Brakes — 18.5%
2011	20	63.0%	146	126,596	Brakes — 19.9%
2012	21	57.4%	122	125,985	Brakes — 25.4%
2013	22	68.0%	100	121,994	Brakes — 57.0%
2014	23	66.3%	83	127,764	Brakes — 48.2%
2015	24	69.6%	79	126,780	Brakes — 51.9%
2016	25	74.2%	66	122,620	Brakes — 56.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1991 Mercedes 260 E, with age trends.

Brakes

36.9%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

21.3%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

21.0%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

13.7%

↑ Increases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

13.6%

↓ Decreases 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	18.5% (18 yrs)	56.1% (25 yrs)	+37.6%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	10.6% (18 yrs)	27.3% (25 yrs)	+16.7%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	19.0% (18 yrs)	30.3% (25 yrs)	+11.3%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	12.0% (18 yrs)	15.2% (25 yrs)	+3.2%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

← Back to Mercedes 260 E overview

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 1991 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 996 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.