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2001 Mercedes S 280 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2001 perform at MOT as they age

25 years
Current Age
77.1%
Latest Pass Rate
1,564
Total Tests (All Years)
100,057 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 19

This car: 77.1%
Average: 55.4%

✅ 21.7% above average (7550 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2001 Mercedes S 280 as it ages.

8 yrs72.1%
9 yrs76.6%
10 yrs68.8%
11 yrs63.4%
12 yrs60.8%
13 yrs61.6%
14 yrs67.4%
15 yrs60.6%
16 yrs67.9%
17 yrs59.6%
18 yrs78.3%
19 yrs77.1%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 8 to 19 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
8 yrs72.1%197
9 yrs76.6%184
10 yrs68.8%186
11 yrs63.4%175
12 yrs60.8%158
13 yrs61.6%146
14 yrs67.4%138
15 yrs60.6%127
16 yrs67.9%106
17 yrs59.6%52
18 yrs78.3%60
19 yrs77.1%35

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2001 Mercedes S 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 12 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2020 (19 yrs)77.1%35
2019 (18 yrs)78.3%60
2018 (17 yrs)59.6%52
2017 (16 yrs)67.9%106
2016 (15 yrs)60.6%127
2015 (14 yrs)67.4%138
2014 (13 yrs)61.6%146
2013 (12 yrs)60.8%158
2012 (11 yrs)63.4%175
2011 (10 yrs)68.8%186
2010 (9 yrs)76.6%184
2009 (8 yrs)72.1%197

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
72.1%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 197Avg Mileage 72,988Top Failure Tyres — 12.7%
2010
76.6%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 184Avg Mileage 80,612Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 10.3%
2011
68.8%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 186Avg Mileage 86,175Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.7%
2012High Fail Rate
63.4%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 175Avg Mileage 87,433Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 21.7%
2013High Fail Rate
60.8%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 158Avg Mileage 89,822Top Failure Brakes — 57.6%
2014High Fail Rate
61.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 146Avg Mileage 93,130Top Failure Brakes — 54.1%
2015
67.4%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 138Avg Mileage 97,381Top Failure Suspension — 51.4%
2016High Fail Rate
60.6%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 127Avg Mileage 102,213Top Failure Suspension — 44.9%
2017
67.9%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 106Avg Mileage 101,292Top Failure Brakes — 41.5%
2018High Fail Rate
59.6%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 52Avg Mileage 106,225Top Failure Brakes — 50.0%
2019
78.3%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 60Avg Mileage 100,347Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 30.0%
2020
77.1%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 35Avg Mileage 100,057Top Failure Brakes — 45.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2001 Mercedes S 280, with age trends.

Brakes
33.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
29.1%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
27.2%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
24.4%
— Consistent
Tyres
21.4%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes12.2% (8 yrs)45.7% (19 yrs)
+33.5%
🔴 ↑
Suspension7.1% (8 yrs)25.7% (19 yrs)
+18.6%
🔴 ↑
Tyres12.7% (8 yrs)17.1% (19 yrs)
+4.4%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes S 280 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes S 280 cars manufactured in 2001 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 1,564 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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