1988 Mercedes 500 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years

Current Age

77.1%

Latest Pass Rate

1,091

Total Tests (All Years)

90,009 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 1988 Mercedes 500 as it ages.

21 yrs73.0%

→ ↓0.8%

22 yrs72.2%

→ ↑2.6%

23 yrs74.8%

→ ↓6.8%

24 yrs68.0%

→ ↑5.8%

25 yrs73.8%

→ ↓2.1%

26 yrs71.7%

→ ↑1.3%

27 yrs73.0%

→ ↓0.8%

28 yrs72.2%

→ ↑4.9%

29 yrs77.1%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
21 yrs	73.0%	159
22 yrs	72.2%	151
23 yrs	74.8%	131
24 yrs	68.0%	125
25 yrs	73.8%	126
26 yrs	71.7%	127
27 yrs	73.0%	122
28 yrs	72.2%	115
29 yrs	77.1%	35

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Mercedes 500 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (29 yrs)	77.1%	35
2016 (28 yrs)	72.2%	115
2015 (27 yrs)	73%	122
2014 (26 yrs)	71.7%	127
2013 (25 yrs)	73.8%	126
2012 (24 yrs)	68%	125
2011 (23 yrs)	74.8%	131
2010 (22 yrs)	72.2%	151
2009 (21 yrs)	73%	159

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

73.0%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 159Avg Mileage 99,473Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.4%

2010

72.2%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 151Avg Mileage 91,558Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 15.9%

2011

74.8%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 131Avg Mileage 96,115Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 10.7%

2012

68.0%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 125Avg Mileage 94,535Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.8%

2013

73.8%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 126Avg Mileage 99,526Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.4%

2014

71.7%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 127Avg Mileage 100,443Top Failure Brakes — 26.0%

2015

73.0%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 122Avg Mileage 94,038Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.3%

2016

72.2%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 115Avg Mileage 95,605Top Failure Brakes — 23.5%

2017

77.1%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 35Avg Mileage 90,009Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 40.0%

MOT results for 1988 Mercedes 500 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	21	73.0%	159	99,473	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.4%
2010	22	72.2%	151	91,558	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 15.9%
2011	23	74.8%	131	96,115	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 10.7%
2012	24	68.0%	125	94,535	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.8%
2013	25	73.8%	126	99,526	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.4%
2014	26	71.7%	127	100,443	Brakes — 26.0%
2015	27	73.0%	122	94,038	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.3%
2016	28	72.2%	115	95,605	Brakes — 23.5%
2017	29	77.1%	35	90,009	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 40.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Mercedes 500, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

22.7%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

19.4%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

16.0%

↑ Increases with age

Driver's View of the Road

12.2%

↑ Increases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

9.7%

↓ 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
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	16.4% (21 yrs)	40.0% (29 yrs)	+23.6%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	11.9% (21 yrs)	31.4% (29 yrs)	+19.5%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	11.3% (21 yrs)	17.1% (29 yrs)	+5.8%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	8.8% (21 yrs)	11.4% (29 yrs)	+2.6%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes 500 cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,091 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.