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1971 Mercedes 350 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years
Current Age
74.6%
Latest Pass Rate
588
Total Tests (All Years)
92,536 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 350

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1971 Mercedes 350 as it ages.

38 yrs62.5%
39 yrs63.7%
40 yrs63.7%
41 yrs68.4%
42 yrs68.5%
43 yrs66.2%
44 yrs73.0%
45 yrs74.6%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 38 to 45 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
38 yrs62.5%80
39 yrs63.7%80
40 yrs63.7%80
41 yrs68.4%76
42 yrs68.5%73
43 yrs66.2%77
44 yrs73.0%63
45 yrs74.6%59

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1971 Mercedes 350 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (45 yrs)74.6%59
2015 (44 yrs)73%63
2014 (43 yrs)66.2%77
2013 (42 yrs)68.5%73
2012 (41 yrs)68.4%76
2011 (40 yrs)63.7%80
2010 (39 yrs)63.7%80
2009 (38 yrs)62.5%80

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
62.5%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 80Avg Mileage 96,217Top Failure Suspension — 16.3%
2010High Fail Rate
63.7%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 80Avg Mileage 96,155Top Failure Driver's View of the Road — 22.5%
2011High Fail Rate
63.7%
Age (yrs) 40Tests 80Avg Mileage 94,330Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.8%
2012
68.4%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 76Avg Mileage 96,665Top Failure Suspension — 18.4%
2013
68.5%
Age (yrs) 42Tests 73Avg Mileage 98,110Top Failure Suspension — 50.7%
2014
66.2%
Age (yrs) 43Tests 77Avg Mileage 96,533Top Failure Suspension — 48.1%
2015
73.0%
Age (yrs) 44Tests 63Avg Mileage 101,123Top Failure Suspension — 23.8%
2016
74.6%
Age (yrs) 45Tests 59Avg Mileage 92,536Top Failure Brakes — 22.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1971 Mercedes 350, with age trends.

Suspension
26.3%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
19.3%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
18.4%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
16.5%
↓ Decreases with age
Driver's View of the Road
15.4%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes12.5% (38 yrs)22.0% (45 yrs)
+9.5%
🔴 ↑
Tyres16.3% (38 yrs)10.2% (45 yrs)
-6.1%
🟢 ↓
Suspension16.3% (38 yrs)22.0% (45 yrs)
+5.7%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment13.8% (38 yrs)18.6% (45 yrs)
+4.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 350 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 350 cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 588 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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