1971 Mercedes 280 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years

Current Age

80.4%

Latest Pass Rate

1,061

Total Tests (All Years)

58,372 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 1971 Mercedes 280 as it ages.

38 yrs63.4%

→ ↑8.0%

39 yrs71.4%

→ ↓2.5%

40 yrs68.9%

→ ↑6.5%

41 yrs75.4%

→ ↓14.2%

42 yrs61.2%

→ ↑14.0%

43 yrs75.2%

→ ↓3.0%

44 yrs72.2%

→ ↑9.3%

45 yrs81.5%

→ ↓1.1%

46 yrs80.4%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
38 yrs	63.4%	131
39 yrs	71.4%	126
40 yrs	68.9%	132
41 yrs	75.4%	130
42 yrs	61.2%	121
43 yrs	75.2%	125
44 yrs	72.2%	126
45 yrs	81.5%	124
46 yrs	80.4%	46

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1971 Mercedes 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (46 yrs)	80.4%	46
2016 (45 yrs)	81.5%	124
2015 (44 yrs)	72.2%	126
2014 (43 yrs)	75.2%	125
2013 (42 yrs)	61.2%	121
2012 (41 yrs)	75.4%	130
2011 (40 yrs)	68.9%	132
2010 (39 yrs)	71.4%	126
2009 (38 yrs)	63.4%	131

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

63.4%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 131Avg Mileage 61,442Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.8%

2010

71.4%

Age (yrs) 39Tests 126Avg Mileage 54,231Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7%

2011

68.9%

Age (yrs) 40Tests 132Avg Mileage 50,616Top Failure Driver's View of the Road — 18.2%

2012

75.4%

Age (yrs) 41Tests 130Avg Mileage 48,952Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.9%

2013High Fail Rate

61.2%

Age (yrs) 42Tests 121Avg Mileage 54,083Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 51.2%

2014

75.2%

Age (yrs) 43Tests 125Avg Mileage 48,955Top Failure Suspension — 36.8%

2015

72.2%

Age (yrs) 44Tests 126Avg Mileage 50,059Top Failure Suspension — 37.3%

2016

81.5%

Age (yrs) 45Tests 124Avg Mileage 53,226Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.8%

2017

80.4%

Age (yrs) 46Tests 46Avg Mileage 58,372Top Failure Suspension — 19.6%

MOT results for 1971 Mercedes 280 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	38	63.4%	131	61,442	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.8%
2010	39	71.4%	126	54,231	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7%
2011	40	68.9%	132	50,616	Driver's View of the Road — 18.2%
2012	41	75.4%	130	48,952	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.9%
2013	42	61.2%	121	54,083	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 51.2%
2014	43	75.2%	125	48,955	Suspension — 36.8%
2015	44	72.2%	126	50,059	Suspension — 37.3%
2016	45	81.5%	124	53,226	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.8%
2017	46	80.4%	46	58,372	Suspension — 19.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1971 Mercedes 280, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

23.4%

— Consistent

Suspension

23.0%

— Consistent

Driver's View of the Road

14.5%

— Consistent

Brakes

14.2%

↓ Decreases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

11.6%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	15.3% (38 yrs)	10.9% (46 yrs)	-4.4%	🟢 ↓
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	9.9% (38 yrs)	8.7% (46 yrs)	-1.2%	⚪ —
Suspension	19.1% (38 yrs)	19.6% (46 yrs)	+0.5%	⚪ —
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	19.8% (38 yrs)	19.6% (46 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 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,061 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.