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2003 Mercedes A 140 L — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years
Current Age
45.7%
Latest Pass Rate
5,672
Total Tests (All Years)
81,456 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 17

This car: 45.7%
Average: 53.5%

⚠️ 7.8% below average (9249 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes A 140 L as it ages.

6 yrs72.3%
7 yrs66.7%
8 yrs60.4%
9 yrs59.4%
10 yrs54.8%
11 yrs54.4%
12 yrs53.4%
13 yrs52.5%
14 yrs53.2%
15 yrs50.0%
16 yrs44.2%
17 yrs45.7%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
6 yrs72.3%722
7 yrs66.7%718
8 yrs60.4%714
9 yrs59.4%690
10 yrs54.8%686
11 yrs54.4%664
12 yrs53.4%641
13 yrs52.5%581
14 yrs53.2%109
15 yrs50.0%60
16 yrs44.2%52
17 yrs45.7%35

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Mercedes A 140 L 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)45.7%35
2019 (16 yrs)44.2%52
2018 (15 yrs)50%60
2017 (14 yrs)53.2%109
2016 (13 yrs)52.5%581
2015 (12 yrs)53.4%641
2014 (11 yrs)54.4%664
2013 (10 yrs)54.8%686
2012 (9 yrs)59.4%690
2011 (8 yrs)60.4%714
2010 (7 yrs)66.7%718
2009 (6 yrs)72.3%722

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
72.3%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 722Avg Mileage 42,701Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.2%
2010
66.7%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 718Avg Mileage 50,540Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.6%
2011High Fail Rate
60.4%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 714Avg Mileage 55,154Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.2%
2012High Fail Rate
59.4%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 690Avg Mileage 60,635Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.1%
2013High Fail Rate
54.8%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 686Avg Mileage 65,327Top Failure Brakes — 49.7%
2014High Fail Rate
54.4%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 664Avg Mileage 73,794Top Failure Brakes — 59.0%
2015High Fail Rate
53.4%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 641Avg Mileage 75,561Top Failure Brakes — 70.4%
2016High Fail Rate
52.5%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 581Avg Mileage 79,081Top Failure Brakes — 68.3%
2017High Fail Rate
53.2%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 109Avg Mileage 79,202Top Failure Brakes — 65.1%
2018High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 60Avg Mileage 77,972Top Failure Suspension — 58.3%
2019High Fail Rate
44.2%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 52Avg Mileage 84,433Top Failure Brakes — 88.5%
2020High Fail Rate
45.7%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 35Avg Mileage 81,456Top Failure Brakes — 65.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes A 140 L, with age trends.

Brakes
48.0%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
36.8%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
35.4%
— Consistent
Suspension
31.6%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
25.0%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes8.0% (6 yrs)65.7% (17 yrs)
+57.7%
🔴 ↑
Tyres11.1% (6 yrs)54.3% (17 yrs)
+43.2%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes A 140 L page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes A 140 L cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 5,672 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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