Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

1985 Mercedes 280 Te — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years
Current Age
61.3%
Latest Pass Rate
197
Total Tests (All Years)
156,627 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 1985 Mercedes 280 Te as it ages.

24 yrs48.0%
25 yrs46.7%
26 yrs53.8%
27 yrs68.8%
28 yrs61.3%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 24 to 28 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
24 yrs48.0%50
25 yrs46.7%45
26 yrs53.8%39
27 yrs68.8%32
28 yrs61.3%31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Mercedes 280 Te pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 5 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (28 yrs)61.3%31
2012 (27 yrs)68.8%32
2011 (26 yrs)53.8%39
2010 (25 yrs)46.7%45
2009 (24 yrs)48%50

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
48.0%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 50Avg Mileage 154,464Top Failure Suspension — 38.0%
2010High Fail Rate
46.7%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 45Avg Mileage 160,014Top Failure Suspension — 37.8%
2011High Fail Rate
53.8%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 39Avg Mileage 148,955Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 28.2%
2012
68.8%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 32Avg Mileage 151,748Top Failure Suspension — 28.1%
2013High Fail Rate
61.3%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 31Avg Mileage 156,627Top Failure Suspension — 106.5%

Common MOT Failures

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

Suspension
47.2%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
23.3%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
22.4%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
20.2%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
19.4%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension38.0% (24 yrs)106.5% (28 yrs)
+68.5%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment18.0% (24 yrs)29.0% (28 yrs)
+11.0%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road14.0% (24 yrs)16.1% (28 yrs)
+2.1%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 280 Te cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 197 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.

Share via WhatsApp Share on Facebook Report Issue