1981 Mercedes 280 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age

45 years

Current Age

74.3%

Latest Pass Rate

1,109

Total Tests (All Years)

102,219 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 1981 Mercedes 280 as it ages.

28 yrs64.7%

→ ↓4.6%

29 yrs60.1%

→ ↓1.0%

30 yrs59.1%

→ ↓0.9%

31 yrs58.2%

→ ↑9.5%

32 yrs67.7%

→ ↓4.4%

33 yrs63.3%

→ ↓1.4%

34 yrs61.9%

→ ↑5.6%

35 yrs67.5%

→ ↑6.8%

36 yrs74.3%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
28 yrs	64.7%	156
29 yrs	60.1%	148
30 yrs	59.1%	149
31 yrs	58.2%	141
32 yrs	67.7%	133
33 yrs	63.3%	120
34 yrs	61.9%	113
35 yrs	67.5%	114
36 yrs	74.3%	35

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1981 Mercedes 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (36 yrs)	74.3%	35
2016 (35 yrs)	67.5%	114
2015 (34 yrs)	61.9%	113
2014 (33 yrs)	63.3%	120
2013 (32 yrs)	67.7%	133
2012 (31 yrs)	58.2%	141
2011 (30 yrs)	59.1%	149
2010 (29 yrs)	60.1%	148
2009 (28 yrs)	64.7%	156

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

64.7%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 156Avg Mileage 91,244Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.9%

2010High Fail Rate

60.1%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 148Avg Mileage 92,591Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 23.0%

2011High Fail Rate

59.1%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 149Avg Mileage 92,922Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.1%

2012High Fail Rate

58.2%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 141Avg Mileage 93,038Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.5%

2013

67.7%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 133Avg Mileage 93,979Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.3%

2014High Fail Rate

63.3%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 120Avg Mileage 89,799Top Failure Brakes — 42.5%

2015High Fail Rate

61.9%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 113Avg Mileage 91,659Top Failure Suspension — 58.4%

2016

67.5%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 114Avg Mileage 89,245Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 42.1%

2017

74.3%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 35Avg Mileage 102,219Top Failure Suspension — 34.3%

MOT results for 1981 Mercedes 280 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	28	64.7%	156	91,244	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.9%
2010	29	60.1%	148	92,591	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 23.0%
2011	30	59.1%	149	92,922	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.1%
2012	31	58.2%	141	93,038	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.5%
2013	32	67.7%	133	93,979	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.3%
2014	33	63.3%	120	89,799	Brakes — 42.5%
2015	34	61.9%	113	91,659	Suspension — 58.4%
2016	35	67.5%	114	89,245	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 42.1%
2017	36	74.3%	35	102,219	Suspension — 34.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 Mercedes 280, with age trends.

Suspension

31.4%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

31.0%

↓ Decreases with age

Brakes

26.6%

— Consistent

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

16.7%

— Consistent

Body, Structure and General Items

16.0%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	16.7% (28 yrs)	34.3% (36 yrs)	+17.6%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	19.9% (28 yrs)	14.3% (36 yrs)	-5.6%	🟢 ↓
Brakes	14.7% (28 yrs)	17.1% (36 yrs)	+2.4%	🔴 ↑

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 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,109 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.