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1996 Mercedes E 250 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
57.5%
Latest Pass Rate
689
Total Tests (All Years)
138,710 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 19

This car: 57.5%
Average: 55.4%

✅ 2.1% above average (7550 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1996 Mercedes E 250 as it ages.

13 yrs49.4%
14 yrs66.2%
15 yrs60.7%
16 yrs58.6%
17 yrs55.4%
18 yrs58.8%
19 yrs57.5%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 13 to 19 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
13 yrs49.4%178
14 yrs66.2%151
15 yrs60.7%117
16 yrs58.6%87
17 yrs55.4%65
18 yrs58.8%51
19 yrs57.5%40

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 Mercedes E 250 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 7 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2015 (19 yrs)57.5%40
2014 (18 yrs)58.8%51
2013 (17 yrs)55.4%65
2012 (16 yrs)58.6%87
2011 (15 yrs)60.7%117
2010 (14 yrs)66.2%151
2009 (13 yrs)49.4%178

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
49.4%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 178Avg Mileage 139,334Top Failure Brakes — 28.7%
2010
66.2%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 151Avg Mileage 138,857Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.9%
2011High Fail Rate
60.7%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 117Avg Mileage 140,491Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.6%
2012High Fail Rate
58.6%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 87Avg Mileage 130,604Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.9%
2013High Fail Rate
55.4%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 65Avg Mileage 136,700Top Failure Brakes — 52.3%
2014High Fail Rate
58.8%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 51Avg Mileage 134,739Top Failure Brakes — 60.8%
2015High Fail Rate
57.5%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 40Avg Mileage 138,710Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 40.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1996 Mercedes E 250, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
35.9%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
33.0%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
27.9%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
17.2%
— Consistent
Driver's View of the Road
12.4%
↑ 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 Equipment28.1% (13 yrs)40.0% (19 yrs)
+11.9%
🔴 ↑
Brakes28.7% (13 yrs)40.0% (19 yrs)
+11.3%
🔴 ↑
Suspension24.2% (13 yrs)35.0% (19 yrs)
+10.8%
🔴 ↑
Tyres23.6% (13 yrs)22.5% (19 yrs)
-1.1%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes E 250 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes E 250 cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2015, covering 689 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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