1991 Mercedes-Benz 190 E: MOT pass rate and reliability

77.8% of 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190 Es pass the MOT first time, measured across 333 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 123,696 miles.

How the 1991 compares

  • Against all Mercedes-Benz 190 Es (77.1%, 1,942 tests): +0.7 points
  • Against all 1991 cars (75.1%): +2.7 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Mercedes-Benz 190 E model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 1991 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Mercedes-Benz 190 E:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
1990 76.2% 357 122,546
1991 77.8% 333 123,696
1992 75% 468 124,912
1993 77.4% 371 119,584

What this means if you are buying a 1991 190 E

The 1991 sits close to the Mercedes-Benz 190 E average, so there is no strong model-year signal either way. Judge the individual car on its own history. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 35-year-old car fails on

A 1991 car is 35 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190 E the average at test was 123,696 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

1991 is the strongest year on record for this model at 77.8%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.

Nearby model years

All Mercedes-Benz 190 E MOT data · Every model