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1997 Mercedes 308d Lwb — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
50.0%
Latest Pass Rate
1,021
Total Tests (All Years)
173,210 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 19

This car: 50.0%
Average: 55.4%

⚠️ 5.4% below average (7550 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Mercedes 308d Lwb as it ages.

12 yrs40.1%
13 yrs42.6%
14 yrs41.6%
15 yrs45.0%
16 yrs41.3%
17 yrs51.8%
18 yrs51.3%
19 yrs50.0%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 19 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs40.1%342
13 yrs42.6%216
14 yrs41.6%154
15 yrs45.0%109
16 yrs41.3%75
17 yrs51.8%56
18 yrs51.3%39
19 yrs50.0%30

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Mercedes 308d Lwb 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 (19 yrs)50%30
2015 (18 yrs)51.3%39
2014 (17 yrs)51.8%56
2013 (16 yrs)41.3%75
2012 (15 yrs)45%109
2011 (14 yrs)41.6%154
2010 (13 yrs)42.6%216
2009 (12 yrs)40.1%342

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
40.1%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 342Avg Mileage 187,160Top Failure Brakes — 47.4%
2010High Fail Rate
42.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 216Avg Mileage 186,909Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 48.6%
2011High Fail Rate
41.6%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 154Avg Mileage 195,445Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 46.8%
2012High Fail Rate
45.0%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 109Avg Mileage 187,164Top Failure Brakes — 44.0%
2013High Fail Rate
41.3%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 75Avg Mileage 198,582Top Failure Brakes — 128.0%
2014High Fail Rate
51.8%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 56Avg Mileage 193,097Top Failure Brakes — 116.1%
2015High Fail Rate
51.3%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 39Avg Mileage 173,940Top Failure Suspension — 120.5%
2016High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 30Avg Mileage 173,210Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 133.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Mercedes 308d Lwb, with age trends.

Brakes
75.4%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
69.0%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
62.4%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
35.3%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
23.3%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment47.4% (12 yrs)133.3% (19 yrs)
+85.9%
🔴 ↑
Brakes47.4% (12 yrs)93.3% (19 yrs)
+45.9%
🔴 ↑
Suspension33.0% (12 yrs)53.3% (19 yrs)
+20.3%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 308d Lwb cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,021 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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