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1997 Mercedes E 220 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
70.7%
Latest Pass Rate
926
Total Tests (All Years)
116,843 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 20

This car: 70.7%
Average: 56.6%

✅ 14.1% above average (6824 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Mercedes E 220 as it ages.

12 yrs59.9%
13 yrs71.4%
14 yrs58.5%
15 yrs70.0%
16 yrs61.4%
17 yrs59.8%
18 yrs61.7%
19 yrs71.7%
20 yrs70.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 20 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs59.9%142
13 yrs71.4%126
14 yrs58.5%118
15 yrs70.0%110
16 yrs61.4%101
17 yrs59.8%102
18 yrs61.7%94
19 yrs71.7%92
20 yrs70.7%41

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Mercedes E 220 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 (20 yrs)70.7%41
2016 (19 yrs)71.7%92
2015 (18 yrs)61.7%94
2014 (17 yrs)59.8%102
2013 (16 yrs)61.4%101
2012 (15 yrs)70%110
2011 (14 yrs)58.5%118
2010 (13 yrs)71.4%126
2009 (12 yrs)59.9%142

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
59.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 142Avg Mileage 87,564Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.1%
2010
71.4%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 126Avg Mileage 90,217Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7%
2011High Fail Rate
58.5%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 118Avg Mileage 93,786Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 28.8%
2012
70.0%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 110Avg Mileage 92,515Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.3%
2013High Fail Rate
61.4%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 101Avg Mileage 91,287Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 47.5%
2014High Fail Rate
59.8%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 102Avg Mileage 91,837Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 46.1%
2015High Fail Rate
61.7%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 94Avg Mileage 95,826Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 57.4%
2016
71.7%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 92Avg Mileage 98,223Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 39.1%
2017
70.7%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 41Avg Mileage 116,843Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Mercedes E 220, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
34.0%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
21.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
19.9%
— Consistent
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
12.5%
— Consistent
Tyres
10.9%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment21.1% (12 yrs)31.7% (20 yrs)
+10.6%
🔴 ↑
Brakes16.9% (12 yrs)26.8% (20 yrs)
+9.9%
🔴 ↑
Tyres8.5% (12 yrs)12.2% (20 yrs)
+3.7%
🔴 ↑
Suspension8.5% (12 yrs)9.8% (20 yrs)
+1.3%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes E 220 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes E 220 cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 926 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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