Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

1985 Mercedes 300 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years
Current Age
61.8%
Latest Pass Rate
211
Total Tests (All Years)
161,940 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 1985 Mercedes 300 as it ages.

24 yrs48.9%
25 yrs60.0%
26 yrs56.7%
27 yrs47.1%
28 yrs64.5%
29 yrs61.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 24 to 29 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
24 yrs48.9%47
25 yrs60.0%35
26 yrs56.7%30
27 yrs47.1%34
28 yrs64.5%31
29 yrs61.8%34

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Mercedes 300 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 6 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2014 (29 yrs)61.8%34
2013 (28 yrs)64.5%31
2012 (27 yrs)47.1%34
2011 (26 yrs)56.7%30
2010 (25 yrs)60%35
2009 (24 yrs)48.9%47

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
48.9%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 47Avg Mileage 146,766Top Failure Suspension — 31.9%
2010High Fail Rate
60.0%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 35Avg Mileage 147,273Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.4%
2011High Fail Rate
56.7%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 30Avg Mileage 152,719Top Failure Suspension — 33.3%
2012High Fail Rate
47.1%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 34Avg Mileage 155,794Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 35.3%
2013High Fail Rate
64.5%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 31Avg Mileage 163,628Top Failure Brakes — 74.2%
2014High Fail Rate
61.8%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 34Avg Mileage 161,940Top Failure Suspension — 73.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 Mercedes 300, with age trends.

Suspension
40.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
39.9%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
36.9%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
18.8%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
17.6%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes17.0% (24 yrs)61.8% (29 yrs)
+44.8%
🔴 ↑
Suspension31.9% (24 yrs)73.5% (29 yrs)
+41.6%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment29.8% (24 yrs)67.6% (29 yrs)
+37.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 300 cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2014, covering 211 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.

Share via WhatsApp Share on Facebook Report Issue