What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz 280?

The Mercedes-Benz 280 has a first-time MOT pass rate of 79.8%, based on 856 DVSA tests. The UK national average is 76.7%.

Is the Mercedes-Benz 280 reliable?

The Mercedes-Benz 280 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.1 percentage points. It ranks 1,446 out of 2,005 UK car models by first-time MOT pass rate.

What is the average mileage of a Mercedes-Benz 280?

The average Mercedes-Benz 280 presented for MOT had covered 89,746 miles, with an average year of manufacture of 1987.

What does a Mercedes-Benz 280 most commonly fail its MOT on?

The most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz 280 is "The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired", flagged on 2.8% of 1,859 first-time tests in the DVSA's 2024 data.

Mercedes-Benz 280: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz 280 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 856 individual Mercedes-Benz 280 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate	79.8%
UK national average	76.7%
Difference	+3.1 points
Tests analysed	856
Average mileage at test	89,746 miles
Average year of manufacture	1987
Reliability rank	1,446 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 79.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz 280s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Mercedes-Benz 280 tested had covered 89,746 miles and was built around 1987.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Mercedes-Benz 280 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Mercedes-Benz 280 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Mercedes-Benz 280s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz 280

The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 2.8% of tests (3.37x the national rate for this defect)
Emissions levels exceed default limits, 0.9% of tests (3.13x the national rate for this defect)
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.6% of tests (2.82x the national rate for this defect)
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.9% of tests (2.46x the national rate for this defect)
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.1% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this defect)
Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 0.8% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this defect)
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.7% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this defect)
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.2% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.9% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,859 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz 280 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.99% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz 280 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate