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1988 Mercedes 300 Te — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years
Current Age
45.5%
Latest Pass Rate
320
Total Tests (All Years)
127,937 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 Te as it ages.

21 yrs49.1%
22 yrs42.1%
23 yrs57.8%
24 yrs56.4%
25 yrs45.5%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 21 to 25 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
21 yrs49.1%108
22 yrs42.1%76
23 yrs57.8%64
24 yrs56.4%39
25 yrs45.5%33

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows declining over 5 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (25 yrs)45.5%33
2012 (24 yrs)56.4%39
2011 (23 yrs)57.8%64
2010 (22 yrs)42.1%76
2009 (21 yrs)49.1%108

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
49.1%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 108Avg Mileage 153,251Top Failure Suspension — 27.8%
2010High Fail Rate
42.1%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 76Avg Mileage 155,463Top Failure Brakes — 34.2%
2011High Fail Rate
57.8%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 64Avg Mileage 154,113Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.3%
2012High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 39Avg Mileage 137,958Top Failure Suspension — 23.1%
2013High Fail Rate
45.5%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 33Avg Mileage 127,937Top Failure Brakes — 97.0%

Common MOT Failures

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

Brakes
39.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
36.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
35.5%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
27.8%
↑ Increases with age
Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems
18.2%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes24.1% (21 yrs)97.0% (25 yrs)
+72.9%
🔴 ↑
Suspension27.8% (21 yrs)81.8% (25 yrs)
+54.0%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment23.1% (21 yrs)69.7% (25 yrs)
+46.6%
🔴 ↑
Tyres18.5% (21 yrs)57.6% (25 yrs)
+39.1%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 300 Te cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 320 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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