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3 VTN

1998 Mercedes-benz Sl

Blue Petrol 3199cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Mar 2027
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

131,497 mi
Last recorded131,497 miles
Recorded on24 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 Mercedes-benz Sl74,108 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Mercedes-benz
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Vehicle Details

Registration3 VTN
MakeMercedes-benz
ModelSl
Year1998
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,199cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 24 Mar 2026 131,497 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Fail 24 Mar 2026 131,497 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 27 May 2025 128,794 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front wheel arch corroded

Fail 27 May 2025 128,794 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front wheel arch corroded

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Pass 5 Jan 2024 126,386 miles
Pass 12 Dec 2022 121,950 miles

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both nearside and offside outer bushes slightly worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front wheel arch slightly corroded but not causing sharp edges

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both nearside and offside slightly perished (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both nearside and offside inner edges worn and overall condition wearing low (5.2.3 (e))

Unable to fully inspect due to covers and shields

Fail 9 Dec 2022 121,950 miles

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both nearside and offside outer bushes slightly worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front wheel arch slightly corroded but not causing sharp edges

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both nearside and offside slightly perished (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both nearside and offside inner edges worn and overall condition wearing low (5.2.3 (e))

Unable to fully inspect due to covers and shields

Pass 8 Nov 2021 119,231 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 5 Jun 2020 116,325 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 2 Jun 2020 116,325 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension rod damaged and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Obligatory mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view (3.3 (b) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 16 Mar 2019 113,829 miles
Fail 16 Mar 2019 113,829 miles

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 13 Mar 2018 111,766 miles

Offside Front Obligatory mirror damaged, but not seriously affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Pass 13 Mar 2017 109,314 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2016 106,287 miles
Fail 7 Mar 2016 106,287 miles

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Main beam 'tell-tale' not working (1.7.4c)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Pass 21 Mar 2015 103,339 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 12 Feb 2014 99,331 miles

o/s/f wheel bearing has play

slight leak on steering damper

Pass 7 Feb 2013 97,341 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

srs light on

Fail 6 Feb 2012 95,850 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

centre & rear exhaust in poor condition

o/s after catalyzer missing

srs warning light on

Pass 6 Feb 2012 95,850 miles

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

centre & rear exhaust in poor condition

o/s after catalyzer missing

srs warning light on

Pass 3 Feb 2011 92,719 miles
Pass 6 Feb 2010 88,141 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2010 88,135 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 10 Dec 2008 83,972 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 20 Nov 2007 77,874 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 4 Nov 2006 70,438 miles
Pass 14 Dec 2005 62,138 miles

How Reliable is the Mercedes-benz Sl?

Based on 528,820 MOT tests across 35,553 vehicles.

83.4%
Pass Rate
2,023
Miles/Year
43
Year Lifespan
35,553
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 8,801
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 3,812
Brake pipe excessively corroded 3,463
Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 3,077
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 2,767
Full Mercedes-benz Sl reliability report

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3 VTN is a 1998 Mercedes-benz Sl in Blue with a 3,199cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

Across all 1998 Mercedes-benz Sl models, the average MOT pass rate is 82.5% with a typical mileage of 74,108 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Mercedes-benz Sl fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 8,801 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 3 VTN, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mercedes-benz Sl typically stays on UK roads for around 43 years. At 28 years old, this Mercedes-benz Sl is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 3 VTN?

You can check the full history of 3 VTN by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 3 VTN registered?

3 VTN is a 1998 Mercedes-benz Sl, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is 3 VTN safe to buy?

The MOT history for 3 VTN shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 3 VTN have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on 3 VTN. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.