1994 Mercedes Sl 280 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1994 perform at MOT as they age

32 years

Current Age

75.6%

Latest Pass Rate

2,791

Total Tests (All Years)

92,130 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1994 Mercedes Sl 280 as it ages.

15 yrs77.0%

→ ↑1.0%

16 yrs78.0%

→ ↑0.6%

17 yrs78.6%

→ ↓2.2%

18 yrs76.4%

→ ↓3.2%

19 yrs73.2%

→ ↓7.5%

20 yrs65.7%

→ ↑12.1%

21 yrs77.8%

→ ↓2.8%

22 yrs75.0%

→ ↑4.7%

23 yrs79.7%

→ ↓4.5%

24 yrs75.2%

→ ↓1.5%

25 yrs73.7%

→ ↑1.9%

26 yrs75.6%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
15 yrs	77.0%	296
16 yrs	78.0%	286
17 yrs	78.6%	285
18 yrs	76.4%	275
19 yrs	73.2%	265
20 yrs	65.7%	248
21 yrs	77.8%	248
22 yrs	75.0%	236
23 yrs	79.7%	217
24 yrs	75.2%	141
25 yrs	73.7%	167
26 yrs	75.6%	127

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1994 Mercedes Sl 280 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2020 (26 yrs)	75.6%	127
2019 (25 yrs)	73.7%	167
2018 (24 yrs)	75.2%	141
2017 (23 yrs)	79.7%	217
2016 (22 yrs)	75%	236
2015 (21 yrs)	77.8%	248
2014 (20 yrs)	65.7%	248
2013 (19 yrs)	73.2%	265
2012 (18 yrs)	76.4%	275
2011 (17 yrs)	78.6%	285
2010 (16 yrs)	78%	286
2009 (15 yrs)	77%	296

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

77.0%

Age (yrs) 15Tests 296Avg Mileage 81,830Top Failure Brakes — 9.8%

2010

78.0%

Age (yrs) 16Tests 286Avg Mileage 85,338Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 11.5%

2011

78.6%

Age (yrs) 17Tests 285Avg Mileage 87,902Top Failure Brakes — 9.8%

2012

76.4%

Age (yrs) 18Tests 275Avg Mileage 88,093Top Failure Tyres — 10.2%

2013

73.2%

Age (yrs) 19Tests 265Avg Mileage 89,673Top Failure Brakes — 37.4%

2014

65.7%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 248Avg Mileage 90,834Top Failure Brakes — 49.6%

2015

77.8%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 248Avg Mileage 92,902Top Failure Brakes — 25.8%

2016

75.0%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 236Avg Mileage 92,302Top Failure Brakes — 34.7%

2017

79.7%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 217Avg Mileage 92,293Top Failure Brakes — 19.8%

2018

75.2%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 141Avg Mileage 92,027Top Failure Brakes — 34.8%

2019

73.7%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 167Avg Mileage 94,526Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 31.7%

2020

75.6%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 127Avg Mileage 92,130Top Failure Brakes — 54.3%

MOT results for 1994 Mercedes Sl 280 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	15	77.0%	296	81,830	Brakes — 9.8%
2010	16	78.0%	286	85,338	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 11.5%
2011	17	78.6%	285	87,902	Brakes — 9.8%
2012	18	76.4%	275	88,093	Tyres — 10.2%
2013	19	73.2%	265	89,673	Brakes — 37.4%
2014	20	65.7%	248	90,834	Brakes — 49.6%
2015	21	77.8%	248	92,902	Brakes — 25.8%
2016	22	75.0%	236	92,302	Brakes — 34.7%
2017	23	79.7%	217	92,293	Brakes — 19.8%
2018	24	75.2%	141	92,027	Brakes — 34.8%
2019	25	73.7%	167	94,526	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 31.7%
2020	26	75.6%	127	92,130	Brakes — 54.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1994 Mercedes Sl 280, with age trends.

Brakes

26.9%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

22.3%

— Consistent

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

15.5%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

15.1%

↑ Increases with age

Noise, emissions and leaks

12.7%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	9.8% (15 yrs)	54.3% (26 yrs)	+44.5%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	9.5% (15 yrs)	23.6% (26 yrs)	+14.1%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	8.8% (15 yrs)	18.1% (26 yrs)	+9.3%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

← Back to Mercedes Sl 280 overview

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

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes Sl 280 cars manufactured in 1994 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 2,791 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.