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1987 Mercedes 500 Sel — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1987 perform at MOT as they age

39 years
Current Age
56.7%
Latest Pass Rate
96
Total Tests (All Years)
119,107 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 1987 Mercedes 500 Sel as it ages.

22 yrs65.7%
23 yrs67.7%
24 yrs56.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 22 to 24 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
22 yrs65.7%35
23 yrs67.7%31
24 yrs56.7%30

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1987 Mercedes 500 Sel pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 3 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2011 (24 yrs)56.7%30
2010 (23 yrs)67.7%31
2009 (22 yrs)65.7%35

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
65.7%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 35Avg Mileage 114,130Top Failure Suspension — 20.0%
2010
67.7%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 31Avg Mileage 117,997Top Failure Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions — 16.1%
2011High Fail Rate
56.7%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 30Avg Mileage 119,107Top Failure Brakes — 26.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1987 Mercedes 500 Sel, with age trends.

Brakes
19.0%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
16.5%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
14.3%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
13.3%
— Consistent
Driver's View of the Road
12.9%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes14.3% (22 yrs)26.7% (24 yrs)
+12.4%
🔴 ↑
Suspension20.0% (22 yrs)13.3% (24 yrs)
-6.7%
🟢 ↓
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions20.0% (22 yrs)13.3% (24 yrs)
-6.7%
🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment14.3% (22 yrs)16.7% (24 yrs)
+2.4%
🔴 ↑

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 1987 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2011, covering 96 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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