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2003 Mercedes Sl 55 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years
Current Age
82.3%
Latest Pass Rate
7,950
Total Tests (All Years)
67,092 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 17

This car: 82.3%
Average: 53.5%

✅ 28.8% above average (9249 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Mercedes Sl 55 as it ages.

6 yrs81.2%
7 yrs84.2%
8 yrs82.2%
9 yrs77.5%
10 yrs74.9%
11 yrs80.8%
12 yrs81.4%
13 yrs80.0%
14 yrs78.8%
15 yrs81.1%
16 yrs82.2%
17 yrs82.3%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 6 to 17 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
6 yrs81.2%892
7 yrs84.2%840
8 yrs82.2%860
9 yrs77.5%849
10 yrs74.9%854
11 yrs80.8%826
12 yrs81.4%806
13 yrs80.0%791
14 yrs78.8%416
15 yrs81.1%281
16 yrs82.2%275
17 yrs82.3%260

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Mercedes Sl 55 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 (17 yrs)82.3%260
2019 (16 yrs)82.2%275
2018 (15 yrs)81.1%281
2017 (14 yrs)78.8%416
2016 (13 yrs)80%791
2015 (12 yrs)81.4%806
2014 (11 yrs)80.8%826
2013 (10 yrs)74.9%854
2012 (9 yrs)77.5%849
2011 (8 yrs)82.2%860
2010 (7 yrs)84.2%840
2009 (6 yrs)81.2%892

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
81.2%
Age (yrs) 6Tests 892Avg Mileage 38,086Top Failure Tyres — 8.3%
2010
84.2%
Age (yrs) 7Tests 840Avg Mileage 42,715Top Failure Tyres — 6.5%
2011
82.2%
Age (yrs) 8Tests 860Avg Mileage 47,427Top Failure Suspension — 7.6%
2012
77.5%
Age (yrs) 9Tests 849Avg Mileage 51,014Top Failure Suspension — 11.5%
2013
74.9%
Age (yrs) 10Tests 854Avg Mileage 54,710Top Failure Suspension — 27.2%
2014
80.8%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 826Avg Mileage 56,980Top Failure Suspension — 20.3%
2015
81.4%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 806Avg Mileage 60,061Top Failure Suspension — 18.7%
2016
80.0%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 791Avg Mileage 63,014Top Failure Suspension — 15.2%
2017
78.8%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 416Avg Mileage 63,924Top Failure Suspension — 17.1%
2018
81.1%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 281Avg Mileage 66,408Top Failure Brakes — 13.5%
2019
82.2%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 275Avg Mileage 66,305Top Failure Suspension — 20.0%
2020
82.3%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 260Avg Mileage 67,092Top Failure Brakes — 23.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Mercedes Sl 55, with age trends.

Suspension
14.8%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
11.6%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
11.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
7.8%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
5.7%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes6.5% (6 yrs)23.1% (17 yrs)
+16.6%
🔴 ↑
Suspension6.2% (6 yrs)15.4% (17 yrs)
+9.2%
🔴 ↑
Tyres8.3% (6 yrs)14.6% (17 yrs)
+6.3%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mercedes Sl 55 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mercedes Sl 55 cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 7,950 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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