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2003 Mercedes A 170 L — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years
Current Age
37.5%
Latest Pass Rate
770
Total Tests (All Years)
102,864 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 13

This car: 37.5%
Average: 53.1%

⚠️ 15.6% below average (13033 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes A 170 L as it ages.

6 yrs68.9%
7 yrs56.4%
8 yrs54.3%
9 yrs56.9%
10 yrs46.5%
11 yrs45.9%
12 yrs50.6%
13 yrs37.5%

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

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
6 yrs68.9%106
7 yrs56.4%101
8 yrs54.3%105
9 yrs56.9%102
10 yrs46.5%101
11 yrs45.9%98
12 yrs50.6%85
13 yrs37.5%72

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Mercedes A 170 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)37.5%72
2015 (12 yrs)50.6%85
2014 (11 yrs)45.9%98
2013 (10 yrs)46.5%101
2012 (9 yrs)56.9%102
2011 (8 yrs)54.3%105
2010 (7 yrs)56.4%101
2009 (6 yrs)68.9%106

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
68.9%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 106Avg Mileage 58,184Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.9%
2010High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 101Avg Mileage 67,382Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.8%
2011High Fail Rate
54.3%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 105Avg Mileage 76,712Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.9%
2012High Fail Rate
56.9%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 102Avg Mileage 80,949Top Failure Brakes — 27.5%
2013High Fail Rate
46.5%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 101Avg Mileage 88,458Top Failure Brakes — 102.0%
2014High Fail Rate
45.9%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 98Avg Mileage 95,660Top Failure Brakes — 91.8%
2015High Fail Rate
50.6%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 85Avg Mileage 107,615Top Failure Brakes — 83.5%
2016High Fail Rate
37.5%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 72Avg Mileage 102,864Top Failure Brakes — 115.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes A 170 L, with age trends.

Brakes
59.0%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
38.1%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
32.6%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
21.3%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
14.4%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes16.0% (6 yrs)115.3% (13 yrs)
+99.3%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment18.9% (6 yrs)59.7% (13 yrs)
+40.8%
🔴 ↑
Tyres7.5% (6 yrs)33.3% (13 yrs)
+25.8%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road6.6% (6 yrs)19.4% (13 yrs)
+12.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes A 170 L page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes A 170 L cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 770 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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