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2004 Mercedes A 140 L — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2004 perform at MOT as they age

22 years
Current Age
48.9%
Latest Pass Rate
6,478
Total Tests (All Years)
82,947 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for A 140 L

Compared to Average at Age 16

This car: 48.9%
Average: 52.7%

⚠️ 3.8% below average (10212 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2004 Mercedes A 140 L as it ages.

5 yrs77.1%
6 yrs66.9%
7 yrs65.9%
8 yrs59.4%
9 yrs53.7%
10 yrs53.0%
11 yrs52.8%
12 yrs51.6%
13 yrs53.5%
14 yrs50.5%
15 yrs43.4%
16 yrs48.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 5 to 16 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
5 yrs77.1%789
6 yrs66.9%783
7 yrs65.9%778
8 yrs59.4%774
9 yrs53.7%778
10 yrs53.0%768
11 yrs52.8%738
12 yrs51.6%690
13 yrs53.5%155
14 yrs50.5%95
15 yrs43.4%83
16 yrs48.9%47

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2004 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 (16 yrs)48.9%47
2019 (15 yrs)43.4%83
2018 (14 yrs)50.5%95
2017 (13 yrs)53.5%155
2016 (12 yrs)51.6%690
2015 (11 yrs)52.8%738
2014 (10 yrs)53%768
2013 (9 yrs)53.7%778
2012 (8 yrs)59.4%774
2011 (7 yrs)65.9%778
2010 (6 yrs)66.9%783
2009 (5 yrs)77.1%789

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
77.1%
Age (yrs) 5Tests 789Avg Mileage 38,006Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 12.4%
2010
66.9%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 783Avg Mileage 45,038Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 20.3%
2011
65.9%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 778Avg Mileage 53,497Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 20.8%
2012High Fail Rate
59.4%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 774Avg Mileage 58,768Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.8%
2013High Fail Rate
53.7%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 778Avg Mileage 64,372Top Failure Brakes — 60.4%
2014High Fail Rate
53.0%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 768Avg Mileage 70,146Top Failure Brakes — 64.5%
2015High Fail Rate
52.8%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 738Avg Mileage 76,353Top Failure Brakes — 62.9%
2016High Fail Rate
51.6%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 690Avg Mileage 79,290Top Failure Brakes — 61.3%
2017High Fail Rate
53.5%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 155Avg Mileage 81,444Top Failure Brakes — 61.3%
2018High Fail Rate
50.5%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 95Avg Mileage 83,582Top Failure Brakes — 62.1%
2019High Fail Rate
43.4%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 83Avg Mileage 92,270Top Failure Brakes — 97.6%
2020High Fail Rate
48.9%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 47Avg Mileage 82,947Top Failure Brakes — 78.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2004 Mercedes A 140 L, with age trends.

Brakes
49.8%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
48.7%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
35.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
31.9%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
21.6%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes6.1% (5 yrs)78.7% (16 yrs)
+72.6%
🔴 ↑
Tyres8.2% (5 yrs)31.9% (16 yrs)
+23.7%
🔴 ↑

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 2004 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 6,478 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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