1988 Mercedes 300 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years

Current Age

64.5%

Latest Pass Rate

557

Total Tests (All Years)

125,806 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 1988 Mercedes 300 E as it ages.

21 yrs61.8%

→ ↓10.9%

22 yrs50.9%

→ ↑4.5%

23 yrs55.4%

→ ↑11.8%

24 yrs67.2%

→ ↓1.9%

25 yrs65.3%

→ ↓0.2%

26 yrs65.1%

→ ↑0.7%

27 yrs65.8%

→ ↓1.3%

28 yrs64.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
21 yrs	61.8%	136
22 yrs	50.9%	110
23 yrs	55.4%	83
24 yrs	67.2%	67
25 yrs	65.3%	49
26 yrs	65.1%	43
27 yrs	65.8%	38
28 yrs	64.5%	31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Mercedes 300 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (28 yrs)	64.5%	31
2015 (27 yrs)	65.8%	38
2014 (26 yrs)	65.1%	43
2013 (25 yrs)	65.3%	49
2012 (24 yrs)	67.2%	67
2011 (23 yrs)	55.4%	83
2010 (22 yrs)	50.9%	110
2009 (21 yrs)	61.8%	136

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

61.8%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 136Avg Mileage 130,394Top Failure Suspension — 20.6%

2010High Fail Rate

50.9%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 110Avg Mileage 129,098Top Failure Brakes — 25.5%

2011High Fail Rate

55.4%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 83Avg Mileage 128,849Top Failure Brakes — 27.7%

2012

67.2%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 67Avg Mileage 134,647Top Failure Brakes — 16.4%

2013

65.3%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 49Avg Mileage 117,302Top Failure Suspension — 26.5%

2014

65.1%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 43Avg Mileage 138,231Top Failure Brakes — 67.4%

2015

65.8%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 38Avg Mileage 136,481Top Failure Suspension — 42.1%

2016High Fail Rate

64.5%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 31Avg Mileage 125,806Top Failure Brakes — 61.3%

MOT results for 1988 Mercedes 300 E by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	21	61.8%	136	130,394	Suspension — 20.6%
2010	22	50.9%	110	129,098	Brakes — 25.5%
2011	23	55.4%	83	128,849	Brakes — 27.7%
2012	24	67.2%	67	134,647	Brakes — 16.4%
2013	25	65.3%	49	117,302	Suspension — 26.5%
2014	26	65.1%	43	138,231	Brakes — 67.4%
2015	27	65.8%	38	136,481	Suspension — 42.1%
2016	28	64.5%	31	125,806	Brakes — 61.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes 300 E, with age trends.

Brakes

31.8%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

26.5%

— Consistent

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

21.9%

↑ Increases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

14.7%

— Consistent

Tyres

13.8%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	19.9% (21 yrs)	61.3% (28 yrs)	+41.4%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	16.2% (21 yrs)	22.6% (28 yrs)	+6.4%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	11.8% (21 yrs)	9.7% (28 yrs)	-2.1%	🟢 ↓
Suspension	20.6% (21 yrs)	22.6% (28 yrs)	+2.0%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

← Back to Mercedes 300 E overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 300 E page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 300 E cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 557 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.