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2003 Mercedes A 160 L — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years
Current Age
47.9%
Latest Pass Rate
971
Total Tests (All Years)
87,449 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 13

This car: 47.9%
Average: 53.1%

⚠️ 5.2% below average (13033 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes A 160 L as it ages.

6 yrs74.0%
7 yrs61.3%
8 yrs66.9%
9 yrs58.5%
10 yrs56.4%
11 yrs59.8%
12 yrs54.5%
13 yrs47.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 6 to 13 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
6 yrs74.0%127
7 yrs61.3%124
8 yrs66.9%130
9 yrs58.5%123
10 yrs56.4%133
11 yrs59.8%117
12 yrs54.5%121
13 yrs47.9%96

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Mercedes A 160 L pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (13 yrs)47.9%96
2015 (12 yrs)54.5%121
2014 (11 yrs)59.8%117
2013 (10 yrs)56.4%133
2012 (9 yrs)58.5%123
2011 (8 yrs)66.9%130
2010 (7 yrs)61.3%124
2009 (6 yrs)74%127

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
74.0%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 127Avg Mileage 42,475Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 12.6%
2010High Fail Rate
61.3%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 124Avg Mileage 49,444Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.0%
2011
66.9%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 130Avg Mileage 56,728Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 20.0%
2012High Fail Rate
58.5%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 123Avg Mileage 63,741Top Failure Brakes — 22.8%
2013High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 133Avg Mileage 70,350Top Failure Brakes — 72.9%
2014High Fail Rate
59.8%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 117Avg Mileage 71,207Top Failure Brakes — 59.0%
2015High Fail Rate
54.5%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 121Avg Mileage 79,304Top Failure Brakes — 81.0%
2016High Fail Rate
47.9%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 96Avg Mileage 87,449Top Failure Brakes — 79.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes A 160 L, with age trends.

Brakes
44.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
31.9%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
22.8%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
20.2%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
9.3%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes10.2% (6 yrs)79.2% (13 yrs)
+69.0%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment12.6% (6 yrs)60.4% (13 yrs)
+47.8%
🔴 ↑
Suspension4.7% (6 yrs)52.1% (13 yrs)
+47.4%
🔴 ↑
Tyres11.8% (6 yrs)27.1% (13 yrs)
+15.3%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road3.1% (6 yrs)17.7% (13 yrs)
+14.6%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes A 160 L page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes A 160 L cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 971 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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