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1997 Mercedes 310 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
47.1%
Latest Pass Rate
219
Total Tests (All Years)
189,375 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 16

This car: 47.1%
Average: 52.7%

⚠️ 5.6% below average (10212 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Mercedes 310 as it ages.

12 yrs47.4%
13 yrs39.6%
14 yrs42.2%
15 yrs48.6%
16 yrs47.1%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 16 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs47.4%57
13 yrs39.6%48
14 yrs42.2%45
15 yrs48.6%35
16 yrs47.1%34

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Mercedes 310 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 5 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (16 yrs)47.1%34
2012 (15 yrs)48.6%35
2011 (14 yrs)42.2%45
2010 (13 yrs)39.6%48
2009 (12 yrs)47.4%57

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
47.4%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 57Avg Mileage 199,193Top Failure Brakes — 45.6%
2010High Fail Rate
39.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 48Avg Mileage 200,704Top Failure Brakes — 52.1%
2011High Fail Rate
42.2%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 45Avg Mileage 197,104Top Failure Brakes — 51.1%
2012High Fail Rate
48.6%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 35Avg Mileage 174,024Top Failure Brakes — 40.0%
2013High Fail Rate
47.1%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 34Avg Mileage 189,375Top Failure Brakes — 120.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Mercedes 310, with age trends.

Brakes
61.9%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
42.7%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
42.5%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
19.2%
— Consistent
Tyres
18.8%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes45.6% (12 yrs)120.6% (16 yrs)
+75.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension31.6% (12 yrs)79.4% (16 yrs)
+47.8%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment40.4% (12 yrs)52.9% (16 yrs)
+12.5%
🔴 ↑
Tyres14.0% (12 yrs)23.5% (16 yrs)
+9.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 310 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 310 cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 219 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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