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1979 Mercedes Sl 350 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1979 perform at MOT as they age

47 years
Current Age
68.8%
Latest Pass Rate
123
Total Tests (All Years)
89,522 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 1979 Mercedes Sl 350 as it ages.

30 yrs66.7%
32 yrs61.3%
33 yrs66.7%
34 yrs68.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 30 to 34 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
30 yrs66.7%30
32 yrs61.3%31
33 yrs66.7%30
34 yrs68.8%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1979 Mercedes Sl 350 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 4 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (34 yrs)68.8%32
2012 (33 yrs)66.7%30
2011 (32 yrs)61.3%31
2009 (30 yrs)66.7%30

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
66.7%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 30Avg Mileage 90,098Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7%
2011High Fail Rate
61.3%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 31Avg Mileage 92,176Top Failure Brakes — 25.8%
2012
66.7%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 30Avg Mileage 91,488Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 20.0%
2013
68.8%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 32Avg Mileage 89,522Top Failure Suspension — 59.4%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1979 Mercedes Sl 350, with age trends.

Suspension
30.5%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
25.0%
— Consistent
Brakes
24.2%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
23.4%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
19.4%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension16.7% (30 yrs)59.4% (34 yrs)
+42.7%
🔴 ↑
Brakes13.3% (30 yrs)37.5% (34 yrs)
+24.2%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment16.7% (30 yrs)37.5% (34 yrs)
+20.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes Sl 350 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes Sl 350 cars manufactured in 1979 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 123 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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