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1985 Mercedes 280 Ce — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years
Current Age
62.2%
Latest Pass Rate
457
Total Tests (All Years)
125,998 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 280 Ce

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1985 Mercedes 280 Ce as it ages.

24 yrs52.2%
25 yrs50.8%
26 yrs59.1%
27 yrs55.9%
28 yrs47.2%
29 yrs53.8%
30 yrs58.0%
31 yrs62.2%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 24 to 31 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
24 yrs52.2%69
25 yrs50.8%63
26 yrs59.1%66
27 yrs55.9%59
28 yrs47.2%53
29 yrs53.8%52
30 yrs58.0%50
31 yrs62.2%45

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Mercedes 280 Ce 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 (31 yrs)62.2%45
2015 (30 yrs)58%50
2014 (29 yrs)53.8%52
2013 (28 yrs)47.2%53
2012 (27 yrs)55.9%59
2011 (26 yrs)59.1%66
2010 (25 yrs)50.8%63
2009 (24 yrs)52.2%69

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
52.2%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 69Avg Mileage 129,863Top Failure Brakes — 27.5%
2010High Fail Rate
50.8%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 63Avg Mileage 126,926Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.2%
2011High Fail Rate
59.1%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 66Avg Mileage 127,010Top Failure Brakes — 28.8%
2012High Fail Rate
55.9%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 59Avg Mileage 145,471Top Failure Suspension — 28.8%
2013High Fail Rate
47.2%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 53Avg Mileage 144,594Top Failure Suspension — 94.3%
2014High Fail Rate
53.8%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 52Avg Mileage 129,473Top Failure Brakes — 65.4%
2015High Fail Rate
58.0%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 50Avg Mileage 129,469Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 68.0%
2016High Fail Rate
62.2%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 45Avg Mileage 125,998Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 42.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 Mercedes 280 Ce, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
39.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
39.3%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
38.2%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
27.4%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
22.3%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment23.2% (24 yrs)42.2% (31 yrs)
+19.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension23.2% (24 yrs)33.3% (31 yrs)
+10.1%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road14.5% (24 yrs)15.6% (31 yrs)
+1.1%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 280 Ce page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 280 Ce cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 457 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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