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1989 Mercedes 300 E — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
46.8%
Latest Pass Rate
984
Total Tests (All Years)
114,323 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 1989 Mercedes 300 E as it ages.

20 yrs58.9%
21 yrs56.7%
22 yrs62.0%
23 yrs56.4%
24 yrs62.6%
25 yrs58.7%
26 yrs54.4%
27 yrs46.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 20 to 27 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs58.9%224
21 yrs56.7%194
22 yrs62.0%142
23 yrs56.4%117
24 yrs62.6%91
25 yrs58.7%75
26 yrs54.4%79
27 yrs46.8%62

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Mercedes 300 E pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (27 yrs)46.8%62
2015 (26 yrs)54.4%79
2014 (25 yrs)58.7%75
2013 (24 yrs)62.6%91
2012 (23 yrs)56.4%117
2011 (22 yrs)62%142
2010 (21 yrs)56.7%194
2009 (20 yrs)58.9%224

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
58.9%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 224Avg Mileage 129,928Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.9%
2010High Fail Rate
56.7%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 194Avg Mileage 132,741Top Failure Brakes — 23.2%
2011High Fail Rate
62.0%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 142Avg Mileage 135,725Top Failure Brakes — 21.8%
2012High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 117Avg Mileage 132,616Top Failure Brakes — 25.6%
2013High Fail Rate
62.6%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 91Avg Mileage 125,476Top Failure Brakes — 65.9%
2014High Fail Rate
58.7%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 75Avg Mileage 124,364Top Failure Brakes — 52.0%
2015High Fail Rate
54.4%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 79Avg Mileage 115,507Top Failure Brakes — 62.0%
2016High Fail Rate
46.8%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 62Avg Mileage 114,323Top Failure Brakes — 61.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Mercedes 300 E, with age trends.

Brakes
41.4%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
32.7%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
30.4%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
15.6%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
15.2%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes19.6% (20 yrs)61.3% (27 yrs)
+41.7%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment21.9% (20 yrs)56.5% (27 yrs)
+34.6%
🔴 ↑
Suspension19.6% (20 yrs)45.2% (27 yrs)
+25.6%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions12.9% (20 yrs)17.7% (27 yrs)
+4.8%
🔴 ↑
Tyres11.6% (20 yrs)11.3% (27 yrs)
-0.3%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

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 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 984 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.

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