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1998 Mercedes 300 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age

28 years
Current Age
54.3%
Latest Pass Rate
318
Total Tests (All Years)
142,936 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 16

This car: 54.3%
Average: 52.7%

✅ 1.6% above average (10212 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1998 Mercedes 300 as it ages.

11 yrs62.5%
12 yrs64.6%
13 yrs60.3%
14 yrs52.3%
15 yrs53.8%
16 yrs54.3%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 11 to 16 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
11 yrs62.5%72
12 yrs64.6%65
13 yrs60.3%63
14 yrs52.3%44
15 yrs53.8%39
16 yrs54.3%35

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1998 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 (16 yrs)54.3%35
2013 (15 yrs)53.8%39
2012 (14 yrs)52.3%44
2011 (13 yrs)60.3%63
2010 (12 yrs)64.6%65
2009 (11 yrs)62.5%72

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
62.5%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 72Avg Mileage 139,986Top Failure Brakes — 20.8%
2010High Fail Rate
64.6%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 65Avg Mileage 136,495Top Failure Suspension — 26.2%
2011High Fail Rate
60.3%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 63Avg Mileage 143,410Top Failure Brakes — 30.2%
2012High Fail Rate
52.3%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 44Avg Mileage 144,500Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 36.4%
2013High Fail Rate
53.8%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 39Avg Mileage 130,647Top Failure Suspension — 69.2%
2014High Fail Rate
54.3%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 35Avg Mileage 142,936Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 65.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1998 Mercedes 300, with age trends.

Brakes
36.1%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
31.0%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
30.1%
— Consistent
Tyres
17.6%
— Consistent
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
16.9%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment15.3% (11 yrs)65.7% (16 yrs)
+50.4%
🔴 ↑
Brakes20.8% (11 yrs)62.9% (16 yrs)
+42.1%
🔴 ↑
Suspension20.8% (11 yrs)22.9% (16 yrs)
+2.1%
🔴 ↑
Tyres15.3% (11 yrs)17.1% (16 yrs)
+1.8%
⚪ —

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 1998 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2014, covering 318 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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