1985 Mercedes 500 Sec — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years

Current Age

85.1%

Latest Pass Rate

540

Total Tests (All Years)

123,850 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for 500 Sec

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1985 Mercedes 500 Sec as it ages.

24 yrs50.5%

→ ↑11.6%

25 yrs62.1%

→ ↓14.0%

26 yrs48.1%

→ ↑5.9%

27 yrs54.0%

→ ↑10.4%

28 yrs64.4%

→ ↓1.4%

29 yrs63.0%

→ ↑6.6%

30 yrs69.6%

→ ↑15.5%

31 yrs85.1%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
24 yrs	50.5%	103
25 yrs	62.1%	87
26 yrs	48.1%	81
27 yrs	54.0%	63
28 yrs	64.4%	59
29 yrs	63.0%	54
30 yrs	69.6%	46
31 yrs	85.1%	47

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Mercedes 500 Sec pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (31 yrs)	85.1%	47
2015 (30 yrs)	69.6%	46
2014 (29 yrs)	63%	54
2013 (28 yrs)	64.4%	59
2012 (27 yrs)	54%	63
2011 (26 yrs)	48.1%	81
2010 (25 yrs)	62.1%	87
2009 (24 yrs)	50.5%	103

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

50.5%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 103Avg Mileage 128,103Top Failure Brakes — 28.2%

2010High Fail Rate

62.1%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 87Avg Mileage 127,599Top Failure Brakes — 27.6%

2011High Fail Rate

48.1%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 81Avg Mileage 123,790Top Failure Suspension — 30.9%

2012High Fail Rate

54.0%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 63Avg Mileage 124,565Top Failure Brakes — 31.7%

2013High Fail Rate

64.4%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 59Avg Mileage 122,126Top Failure Brakes — 93.2%

2014High Fail Rate

63.0%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 54Avg Mileage 124,997Top Failure Suspension — 87.0%

2015

69.6%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 46Avg Mileage 110,643Top Failure Suspension — 47.8%

2016

85.1%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 47Avg Mileage 123,850Top Failure Brakes — 14.9%

MOT results for 1985 Mercedes 500 Sec by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	24	50.5%	103	128,103	Brakes — 28.2%
2010	25	62.1%	87	127,599	Brakes — 27.6%
2011	26	48.1%	81	123,790	Suspension — 30.9%
2012	27	54.0%	63	124,565	Brakes — 31.7%
2013	28	64.4%	59	122,126	Brakes — 93.2%
2014	29	63.0%	54	124,997	Suspension — 87.0%
2015	30	69.6%	46	110,643	Suspension — 47.8%
2016	31	85.1%	47	123,850	Brakes — 14.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 Mercedes 500 Sec, with age trends.

Brakes

36.2%

↓ Decreases with age

Suspension

36.2%

↓ Decreases with age

Steering

29.6%

— Consistent

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

22.5%

↓ Decreases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

18.4%

↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	23.3% (24 yrs)	6.4% (31 yrs)	-16.9%	🟢 ↓
Brakes	28.2% (24 yrs)	14.9% (31 yrs)	-13.3%	🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	20.4% (24 yrs)	12.8% (31 yrs)	-7.6%	🟢 ↓
Body, Structure and General Items	14.6% (24 yrs)	10.6% (31 yrs)	-4.0%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993

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About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 500 Sec cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 540 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.