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1986 Mercedes 500 Sec — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age

40 years
Current Age
37.5%
Latest Pass Rate
321
Total Tests (All Years)
115,253 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 1986 Mercedes 500 Sec as it ages.

23 yrs53.6%
24 yrs55.4%
25 yrs63.6%
26 yrs44.2%
27 yrs67.6%
28 yrs51.6%
29 yrs37.5%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 23 to 29 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
23 yrs53.6%69
24 yrs55.4%56
25 yrs63.6%44
26 yrs44.2%52
27 yrs67.6%37
28 yrs51.6%31
29 yrs37.5%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1986 Mercedes 500 Sec pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 7 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2015 (29 yrs)37.5%32
2014 (28 yrs)51.6%31
2013 (27 yrs)67.6%37
2012 (26 yrs)44.2%52
2011 (25 yrs)63.6%44
2010 (24 yrs)55.4%56
2009 (23 yrs)53.6%69

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
53.6%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 69Avg Mileage 122,895Top Failure Brakes — 27.5%
2010High Fail Rate
55.4%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 56Avg Mileage 120,726Top Failure Brakes — 26.8%
2011High Fail Rate
63.6%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 44Avg Mileage 120,150Top Failure Suspension — 18.2%
2012High Fail Rate
44.2%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 52Avg Mileage 113,991Top Failure Suspension — 32.7%
2013
67.6%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 37Avg Mileage 110,106Top Failure Brakes — 27.0%
2014High Fail Rate
51.6%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 31Avg Mileage 118,009Top Failure Suspension — 80.6%
2015High Fail Rate
37.5%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 32Avg Mileage 115,253Top Failure Brakes — 103.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1986 Mercedes 500 Sec, with age trends.

Suspension
39.6%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
38.9%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
31.8%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
25.0%
— Consistent
Tyres
24.2%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes27.5% (23 yrs)103.1% (29 yrs)
+75.6%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment27.5% (23 yrs)84.4% (29 yrs)
+56.9%
🔴 ↑
Suspension17.4% (23 yrs)65.6% (29 yrs)
+48.2%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes 500 Sec page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 500 Sec cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2015, covering 321 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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