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1989 Mercedes 500 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
78.8%
Latest Pass Rate
1,191
Total Tests (All Years)
108,569 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 1989 Mercedes 500 as it ages.

20 yrs70.2%
21 yrs65.8%
22 yrs66.0%
23 yrs72.9%
24 yrs70.8%
25 yrs64.6%
26 yrs76.6%
27 yrs74.6%
28 yrs78.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 20 to 28 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs70.2%178
21 yrs65.8%161
22 yrs66.0%144
23 yrs72.9%144
24 yrs70.8%137
25 yrs64.6%144
26 yrs76.6%128
27 yrs74.6%122
28 yrs78.8%33

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Mercedes 500 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (28 yrs)78.8%33
2016 (27 yrs)74.6%122
2015 (26 yrs)76.6%128
2014 (25 yrs)64.6%144
2013 (24 yrs)70.8%137
2012 (23 yrs)72.9%144
2011 (22 yrs)66%144
2010 (21 yrs)65.8%161
2009 (20 yrs)70.2%178

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
70.2%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 178Avg Mileage 106,659Top Failure Brakes — 15.7%
2010
65.8%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 161Avg Mileage 103,768Top Failure Brakes — 16.8%
2011
66.0%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 144Avg Mileage 104,579Top Failure Brakes — 15.3%
2012
72.9%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 144Avg Mileage 100,042Top Failure Brakes — 15.3%
2013
70.8%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 137Avg Mileage 101,454Top Failure Brakes — 27.0%
2014High Fail Rate
64.6%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 144Avg Mileage 103,717Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 35.4%
2015
76.6%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 128Avg Mileage 101,064Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 20.3%
2016
74.6%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 122Avg Mileage 104,054Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.1%
2017
78.8%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 33Avg Mileage 108,569Top Failure Suspension — 42.4%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Mercedes 500, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
19.9%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
19.8%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
18.0%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
12.1%
— Consistent
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
11.3%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment14.6% (20 yrs)21.2% (28 yrs)
+6.6%
🔴 ↑
Brakes15.7% (20 yrs)21.2% (28 yrs)
+5.5%
🔴 ↑
Steering6.7% (20 yrs)12.1% (28 yrs)
+5.4%
🔴 ↑

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 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,191 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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