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1986 Mercedes 500 Sel — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age

40 years
Current Age
56.7%
Latest Pass Rate
152
Total Tests (All Years)
113,078 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 Sel as it ages.

23 yrs55.3%
24 yrs53.7%
25 yrs55.9%
26 yrs56.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 23 to 26 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
23 yrs55.3%47
24 yrs53.7%41
25 yrs55.9%34
26 yrs56.7%30

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows improving over 4 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2012 (26 yrs)56.7%30
2011 (25 yrs)55.9%34
2010 (24 yrs)53.7%41
2009 (23 yrs)55.3%47

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
55.3%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 47Avg Mileage 122,113Top Failure Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions — 29.8%
2010High Fail Rate
53.7%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 41Avg Mileage 122,269Top Failure Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions — 26.8%
2011High Fail Rate
55.9%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 34Avg Mileage 124,444Top Failure Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions — 38.2%
2012High Fail Rate
56.7%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 30Avg Mileage 113,078Top Failure Suspension — 23.3%

Common MOT Failures

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

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
27.9%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
23.5%
— Consistent
Brakes
20.1%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
17.7%
↓ Decreases with age
Steering
16.7%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions29.8% (23 yrs)16.7% (26 yrs)
-13.1%
🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment23.4% (23 yrs)16.7% (26 yrs)
-6.7%
🟢 ↓
Brakes14.9% (23 yrs)20.0% (26 yrs)
+5.1%
🔴 ↑
Suspension25.5% (23 yrs)23.3% (26 yrs)
-2.2%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 500 Sel cars manufactured in 1986 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2012, covering 152 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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