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2004 Mercedes A 160 L — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2004 perform at MOT as they age

22 years
Current Age
55.9%
Latest Pass Rate
1,218
Total Tests (All Years)
75,751 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 12

This car: 55.9%
Average: 54.3%

✅ 1.6% above average (13966 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2004 Mercedes A 160 L as it ages.

5 yrs81.6%
6 yrs70.2%
7 yrs64.6%
8 yrs71.1%
9 yrs56.6%
10 yrs46.3%
11 yrs52.9%
12 yrs55.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 5 to 12 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
5 yrs81.6%163
6 yrs70.2%161
7 yrs64.6%158
8 yrs71.1%159
9 yrs56.6%152
10 yrs46.3%149
11 yrs52.9%140
12 yrs55.9%136

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2004 Mercedes A 160 L pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (12 yrs)55.9%136
2015 (11 yrs)52.9%140
2014 (10 yrs)46.3%149
2013 (9 yrs)56.6%152
2012 (8 yrs)71.1%159
2011 (7 yrs)64.6%158
2010 (6 yrs)70.2%161
2009 (5 yrs)81.6%163

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
81.6%
Age (yrs) 5Tests 163Avg Mileage 36,653Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 10.4%
2010
70.2%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 161Avg Mileage 43,006Top Failure Brakes — 16.8%
2011High Fail Rate
64.6%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 158Avg Mileage 48,929Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.6%
2012
71.1%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 159Avg Mileage 55,821Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.2%
2013High Fail Rate
56.6%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 152Avg Mileage 65,244Top Failure Brakes — 57.2%
2014High Fail Rate
46.3%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 149Avg Mileage 65,491Top Failure Brakes — 76.5%
2015High Fail Rate
52.9%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 140Avg Mileage 78,243Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 55.7%
2016High Fail Rate
55.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 136Avg Mileage 75,751Top Failure Brakes — 73.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2004 Mercedes A 160 L, with age trends.

Brakes
39.3%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
31.0%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
18.3%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
15.0%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
11.3%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes8.0% (5 yrs)73.5% (12 yrs)
+65.5%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment10.4% (5 yrs)44.9% (12 yrs)
+34.5%
🔴 ↑
Suspension2.5% (5 yrs)25.0% (12 yrs)
+22.5%
🔴 ↑
Tyres5.5% (5 yrs)27.9% (12 yrs)
+22.4%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road4.3% (5 yrs)17.6% (12 yrs)
+13.3%
🔴 ↑

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 2004 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,218 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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