2003 Mercedes S 430 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years

Current Age

67.7%

Latest Pass Rate

340

Total Tests (All Years)

134,146 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 13

This car: 67.7%

Average: 53.1%

✅ 14.6% above average (13033 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes S 430 as it ages.

6 yrs85.2%

→ ↓6.4%

7 yrs78.8%

→ ↑6.9%

8 yrs85.7%

→ ↓11.3%

9 yrs74.4%

→ ↓12.9%

10 yrs61.5%

→ ↑15.0%

11 yrs76.5%

→ ↓7.9%

12 yrs68.6%

→ ↓0.9%

13 yrs67.7%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
6 yrs	85.2%	54
7 yrs	78.8%	52
8 yrs	85.7%	56
9 yrs	74.4%	39
10 yrs	61.5%	39
11 yrs	76.5%	34
12 yrs	68.6%	35
13 yrs	67.7%	31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Mercedes S 430 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (13 yrs)	67.7%	31
2015 (12 yrs)	68.6%	35
2014 (11 yrs)	76.5%	34
2013 (10 yrs)	61.5%	39
2012 (9 yrs)	74.4%	39
2011 (8 yrs)	85.7%	56
2010 (7 yrs)	78.8%	52
2009 (6 yrs)	85.2%	54

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

85.2%

Age (yrs) 6Tests 54Avg Mileage 87,961Top Failure Tyres — 9.3%

2010

78.8%

Age (yrs) 7Tests 52Avg Mileage 96,651Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 9.6%

2011

85.7%

Age (yrs) 8Tests 56Avg Mileage 107,841Top Failure Tyres — 7.1%

2012

74.4%

Age (yrs) 9Tests 39Avg Mileage 111,093Top Failure Tyres — 15.4%

2013High Fail Rate

61.5%

Age (yrs) 10Tests 39Avg Mileage 111,175Top Failure Suspension — 53.8%

2014

76.5%

Age (yrs) 11Tests 34Avg Mileage 133,809Top Failure Suspension — 38.2%

2015

68.6%

Age (yrs) 12Tests 35Avg Mileage 130,322Top Failure Tyres — 51.4%

2016

67.7%

Age (yrs) 13Tests 31Avg Mileage 134,146Top Failure Brakes — 54.8%

MOT results for 2003 Mercedes S 430 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	6	85.2%	54	87,961	Tyres — 9.3%
2010	7	78.8%	52	96,651	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 9.6%
2011	8	85.7%	56	107,841	Tyres — 7.1%
2012	9	74.4%	39	111,093	Tyres — 15.4%
2013	10	61.5%	39	111,175	Suspension — 53.8%
2014	11	76.5%	34	133,809	Suspension — 38.2%
2015	12	68.6%	35	130,322	Tyres — 51.4%
2016	13	67.7%	31	134,146	Brakes — 54.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes S 430, with age trends.

Suspension

26.1%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

18.8%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

18.0%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

15.5%

↑ Increases with age

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

14.3%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	1.9% (6 yrs)	54.8% (13 yrs)	+52.9%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	3.7% (6 yrs)	35.5% (13 yrs)	+31.8%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	7.4% (6 yrs)	25.8% (13 yrs)	+18.4%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	9.3% (6 yrs)	19.4% (13 yrs)	+10.1%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

← Back to Mercedes S 430 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes S 430 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes S 430 cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 340 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.