1989 Mercedes 300 Te — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years

Current Age

56.0%

Latest Pass Rate

873

Total Tests (All Years)

168,958 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 Te as it ages.

20 yrs54.1%

→ ↓2.1%

21 yrs52.0%

→ ↑2.0%

22 yrs54.0%

→ ↓2.5%

23 yrs51.5%

→ ↑5.3%

24 yrs56.8%

→ ↓5.3%

25 yrs51.5%

→ ↑7.8%

26 yrs59.3%

→ ↓3.3%

27 yrs56.0%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
20 yrs	54.1%	220
21 yrs	52.0%	179
22 yrs	54.0%	126
23 yrs	51.5%	97
24 yrs	56.8%	81
25 yrs	51.5%	66
26 yrs	59.3%	54
27 yrs	56.0%	50

Pass Rate Trend

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

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (27 yrs)	56%	50
2015 (26 yrs)	59.3%	54
2014 (25 yrs)	51.5%	66
2013 (24 yrs)	56.8%	81
2012 (23 yrs)	51.5%	97
2011 (22 yrs)	54%	126
2010 (21 yrs)	52%	179
2009 (20 yrs)	54.1%	220

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

54.1%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 220Avg Mileage 162,668Top Failure Brakes — 27.3%

2010High Fail Rate

52.0%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 179Avg Mileage 162,751Top Failure Suspension — 28.5%

2011High Fail Rate

54.0%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 126Avg Mileage 161,062Top Failure Suspension — 27.0%

2012High Fail Rate

51.5%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 97Avg Mileage 163,023Top Failure Suspension — 30.9%

2013High Fail Rate

56.8%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 81Avg Mileage 156,353Top Failure Suspension — 54.3%

2014High Fail Rate

51.5%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 66Avg Mileage 161,075Top Failure Brakes — 74.2%

2015High Fail Rate

59.3%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 54Avg Mileage 162,278Top Failure Suspension — 68.5%

2016High Fail Rate

56.0%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 50Avg Mileage 168,958Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 62.0%

MOT results for 1989 Mercedes 300 Te by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	20	54.1%	220	162,668	Brakes — 27.3%
2010	21	52.0%	179	162,751	Suspension — 28.5%
2011	22	54.0%	126	161,062	Suspension — 27.0%
2012	23	51.5%	97	163,023	Suspension — 30.9%
2013	24	56.8%	81	156,353	Suspension — 54.3%
2014	25	51.5%	66	161,075	Brakes — 74.2%
2015	26	59.3%	54	162,278	Suspension — 68.5%
2016	27	56.0%	50	168,958	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 62.0%

Common MOT Failures

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

Suspension

41.8%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

38.3%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

38.0%

↑ Increases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

20.1%

— Consistent

Tyres

20.1%

↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	20.5% (20 yrs)	62.0% (27 yrs)	+41.5%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	22.7% (20 yrs)	42.0% (27 yrs)	+19.3%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	27.3% (20 yrs)	40.0% (27 yrs)	+12.7%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	15.5% (20 yrs)	20.0% (27 yrs)	+4.5%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	20.0% (20 yrs)	22.0% (27 yrs)	+2.0%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993

← Back to Mercedes 300 Te overview

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 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 873 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.