1970 Mercedes 280 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1970 perform at MOT as they age

56 years

Current Age

80.9%

Latest Pass Rate

1,347

Total Tests (All Years)

50,817 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 1970 Mercedes 280 as it ages.

39 yrs66.2%

→ ↑2.7%

40 yrs68.9%

→ ↓7.5%

41 yrs61.4%

→ ↑4.9%

42 yrs66.3%

→ ↑6.6%

43 yrs72.9%

→ ↑10.4%

44 yrs83.3%

→ ↓8.0%

45 yrs75.3%

→ ↑4.9%

46 yrs80.2%

→ ↑0.7%

47 yrs80.9%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
39 yrs	66.2%	154
40 yrs	68.9%	151
41 yrs	61.4%	158
42 yrs	66.3%	160
43 yrs	72.9%	155
44 yrs	83.3%	150
45 yrs	75.3%	174
46 yrs	80.2%	177
47 yrs	80.9%	68

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1970 Mercedes 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (47 yrs)	80.9%	68
2016 (46 yrs)	80.2%	177
2015 (45 yrs)	75.3%	174
2014 (44 yrs)	83.3%	150
2013 (43 yrs)	72.9%	155
2012 (42 yrs)	66.3%	160
2011 (41 yrs)	61.4%	158
2010 (40 yrs)	68.9%	151
2009 (39 yrs)	66.2%	154

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

66.2%

Age (yrs) 39Tests 154Avg Mileage 52,412Top Failure Suspension — 16.2%

2010

68.9%

Age (yrs) 40Tests 151Avg Mileage 54,471Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.2%

2011High Fail Rate

61.4%

Age (yrs) 41Tests 158Avg Mileage 53,715Top Failure Suspension — 19.0%

2012

66.3%

Age (yrs) 42Tests 160Avg Mileage 52,309Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.3%

2013

72.9%

Age (yrs) 43Tests 155Avg Mileage 51,730Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 24.5%

2014

83.3%

Age (yrs) 44Tests 150Avg Mileage 51,603Top Failure Suspension — 15.3%

2015

75.3%

Age (yrs) 45Tests 174Avg Mileage 50,927Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 34.5%

2016

80.2%

Age (yrs) 46Tests 177Avg Mileage 52,660Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.5%

2017

80.9%

Age (yrs) 47Tests 68Avg Mileage 50,817Top Failure Suspension — 23.5%

MOT results for 1970 Mercedes 280 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	39	66.2%	154	52,412	Suspension — 16.2%
2010	40	68.9%	151	54,471	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.2%
2011	41	61.4%	158	53,715	Suspension — 19.0%
2012	42	66.3%	160	52,309	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.3%
2013	43	72.9%	155	51,730	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 24.5%
2014	44	83.3%	150	51,603	Suspension — 15.3%
2015	45	75.3%	174	50,927	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 34.5%
2016	46	80.2%	177	52,660	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.5%
2017	47	80.9%	68	50,817	Suspension — 23.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1970 Mercedes 280, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

20.1%

— Consistent

Suspension

17.4%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

11.2%

— Consistent

Driver's View of the Road

10.8%

↓ Decreases with age

Steering

9.6%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	16.2% (39 yrs)	23.5% (47 yrs)	+7.3%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	11.7% (39 yrs)	14.7% (47 yrs)	+3.0%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	9.7% (39 yrs)	8.8% (47 yrs)	-0.9%	⚪ —
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	14.9% (39 yrs)	14.7% (47 yrs)	-0.2%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 2006

← Back to Mercedes 280 overview

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 280 cars manufactured in 1970 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,347 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.