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1998 Mercedes A 160 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age

28 years
Current Age
52.4%
Latest Pass Rate
8,288
Total Tests (All Years)
83,926 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 19

This car: 52.4%
Average: 55.4%

⚠️ 3.0% below average (7550 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1998 Mercedes A 160 as it ages.

11 yrs44.0%
12 yrs42.7%
13 yrs43.3%
14 yrs41.4%
15 yrs45.4%
16 yrs41.0%
17 yrs43.7%
18 yrs44.6%
19 yrs52.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 11 to 19 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
11 yrs44.0%1,638
12 yrs42.7%1,533
13 yrs43.3%1,368
14 yrs41.4%1,189
15 yrs45.4%914
16 yrs41.0%710
17 yrs43.7%522
18 yrs44.6%372
19 yrs52.4%42

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1998 Mercedes A 160 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (19 yrs)52.4%42
2016 (18 yrs)44.6%372
2015 (17 yrs)43.7%522
2014 (16 yrs)41%710
2013 (15 yrs)45.4%914
2012 (14 yrs)41.4%1,189
2011 (13 yrs)43.3%1,368
2010 (12 yrs)42.7%1,533
2009 (11 yrs)44%1,638

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
44.0%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 1,638Avg Mileage 80,342Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 37.2%
2010High Fail Rate
42.7%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 1,533Avg Mileage 85,088Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.3%
2011High Fail Rate
43.3%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 1,368Avg Mileage 89,237Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 37.7%
2012High Fail Rate
41.4%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 1,189Avg Mileage 91,865Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 39.2%
2013High Fail Rate
45.4%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 914Avg Mileage 93,126Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 79.9%
2014High Fail Rate
41.0%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 710Avg Mileage 92,441Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 94.1%
2015High Fail Rate
43.7%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 522Avg Mileage 94,432Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 93.1%
2016High Fail Rate
44.6%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 372Avg Mileage 92,518Top Failure Suspension — 98.7%
2017High Fail Rate
52.4%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 42Avg Mileage 83,926Top Failure Suspension — 97.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1998 Mercedes A 160, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
62.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
61.2%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
55.6%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
25.4%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
16.6%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension26.4% (11 yrs)97.6% (19 yrs)
+71.2%
🔴 ↑
Brakes32.0% (11 yrs)57.1% (19 yrs)
+25.1%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment37.2% (11 yrs)61.9% (19 yrs)
+24.7%
🔴 ↑
Tyres16.4% (11 yrs)33.3% (19 yrs)
+16.9%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes A 160 cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 8,288 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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