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1989 Mercedes 308 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
53.1%
Latest Pass Rate
476
Total Tests (All Years)
119,258 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 308 as it ages.

20 yrs47.0%
21 yrs42.7%
22 yrs50.7%
23 yrs44.9%
24 yrs40.0%
25 yrs60.0%
26 yrs40.0%
27 yrs53.1%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs47.0%115
21 yrs42.7%89
22 yrs50.7%71
23 yrs44.9%49
24 yrs40.0%45
25 yrs60.0%40
26 yrs40.0%35
27 yrs53.1%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Mercedes 308 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)53.1%32
2015 (26 yrs)40%35
2014 (25 yrs)60%40
2013 (24 yrs)40%45
2012 (23 yrs)44.9%49
2011 (22 yrs)50.7%71
2010 (21 yrs)42.7%89
2009 (20 yrs)47%115

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
47.0%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 115Avg Mileage 162,362Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 42.6%
2010High Fail Rate
42.7%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 89Avg Mileage 157,562Top Failure Suspension — 40.4%
2011High Fail Rate
50.7%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 71Avg Mileage 155,013Top Failure Brakes — 35.2%
2012High Fail Rate
44.9%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 49Avg Mileage 137,683Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.8%
2013High Fail Rate
40.0%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 45Avg Mileage 132,779Top Failure Brakes — 115.6%
2014High Fail Rate
60.0%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 40Avg Mileage 124,450Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 82.5%
2015High Fail Rate
40.0%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 35Avg Mileage 121,783Top Failure Suspension — 114.3%
2016High Fail Rate
53.1%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 32Avg Mileage 119,258Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 75.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Mercedes 308, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
63.1%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
56.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
50.9%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
37.2%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
31.1%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment42.6% (20 yrs)75.0% (27 yrs)
+32.4%
🔴 ↑
Brakes37.4% (20 yrs)56.3% (27 yrs)
+18.9%
🔴 ↑
Suspension29.6% (20 yrs)46.9% (27 yrs)
+17.3%
🔴 ↑
Body, Structure and General Items27.8% (20 yrs)37.5% (27 yrs)
+9.7%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 308 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 308 cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 476 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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