Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

2003 Mercedes 500 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years
Current Age
73.7%
Latest Pass Rate
842
Total Tests (All Years)
68,748 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 17

This car: 73.7%
Average: 53.5%

✅ 20.2% above average (9249 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes 500 as it ages.

6 yrs79.7%
7 yrs88.6%
8 yrs82.7%
9 yrs81.2%
10 yrs84.9%
11 yrs78.5%
12 yrs79.5%
13 yrs77.2%
14 yrs76.1%
15 yrs88.6%
16 yrs71.4%
17 yrs73.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 6 to 17 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
6 yrs79.7%79
7 yrs88.6%79
8 yrs82.7%81
9 yrs81.2%85
10 yrs84.9%73
11 yrs78.5%79
12 yrs79.5%78
13 yrs77.2%79
14 yrs76.1%71
15 yrs88.6%44
16 yrs71.4%56
17 yrs73.7%38

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Mercedes 500 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 12 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2020 (17 yrs)73.7%38
2019 (16 yrs)71.4%56
2018 (15 yrs)88.6%44
2017 (14 yrs)76.1%71
2016 (13 yrs)77.2%79
2015 (12 yrs)79.5%78
2014 (11 yrs)78.5%79
2013 (10 yrs)84.9%73
2012 (9 yrs)81.2%85
2011 (8 yrs)82.7%81
2010 (7 yrs)88.6%79
2009 (6 yrs)79.7%79

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
79.7%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 79Avg Mileage 40,214Top Failure Tyres — 11.4%
2010
88.6%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 79Avg Mileage 45,179Top Failure Tyres — 10.1%
2011
82.7%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 81Avg Mileage 48,320Top Failure Tyres — 8.6%
2012
81.2%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 85Avg Mileage 52,284Top Failure Suspension — 7.1%
2013
84.9%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 73Avg Mileage 52,352Top Failure Suspension — 19.2%
2014
78.5%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 79Avg Mileage 58,887Top Failure Brakes — 26.6%
2015
79.5%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 78Avg Mileage 59,741Top Failure Tyres — 12.8%
2016
77.2%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 79Avg Mileage 61,264Top Failure Suspension — 21.5%
2017
76.1%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 71Avg Mileage 66,304Top Failure Brakes — 19.7%
2018
88.6%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 44Avg Mileage 74,618Top Failure Suspension — 18.2%
2019
71.4%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 56Avg Mileage 74,288Top Failure Suspension — 60.7%
2020
73.7%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 38Avg Mileage 68,748Top Failure Brakes — 73.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes 500, with age trends.

Brakes
18.1%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
17.1%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
16.5%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
9.9%
↓ Decreases with age
Visibility
8.4%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes7.6% (6 yrs)73.7% (17 yrs)
+66.1%
🔴 ↑
Suspension5.1% (6 yrs)18.4% (17 yrs)
+13.3%
🔴 ↑
Tyres11.4% (6 yrs)5.3% (17 yrs)
-6.1%
🟢 ↓

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 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 842 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.

Share via WhatsApp Share on Facebook Report Issue