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503 HRH

1988 Mercedes-benz 420

Red Petrol 4196cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires2 Jul 2026
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

64,570 mi
Last recorded64,570 miles
Recorded on26 Aug 2026
Typical for 1988 Mercedes-benz 420101,568 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Mercedes-benz
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

Registration503 HRH
MakeMercedes-benz
Model420
Year1988
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,196cc

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

16 pass 6 fail
Fail 26 Aug 2026 64,570 miles

Emissions unable to be completed excessively blue smoke (8.2.1.2 (d))

Exhaust emits dense blue smoke at idle (8.2.1.2 (f))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 205/65/15 (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Central Front Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement All 4 bushes worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Coil spring corroded All 4 coil springs corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive From engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Steering rack has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

rear exhaust box corroded

Pass 20 Jun 2025 64,495 miles

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bushes both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement centre both bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement centre bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both sides (5.3.2 (c))

Rear Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 20 Jun 2025 64,495 miles

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bushes both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement centre both bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement centre bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both sides (5.3.2 (c))

Rear Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Jul 2024 64,245 miles

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

Pass 3 Jul 2023 63,956 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2022 63,637 miles
Fail 15 Mar 2022 63,637 miles

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 29 Mar 2021 63,235 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2019 63,137 miles

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 16 Nov 2017 63,118 miles

Offside Rear brake binding slightly.

Fail 7 Nov 2017 63,118 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Exhaust engine idle speed too high (7.3.A.2a)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect Condensation inside lens. (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Rear brake binding slightly.

Pass 24 Nov 2015 63,115 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules all 4 --- front and rear (3.6.B.4e)

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded from union to o/s/r and n/s/r (3.6.B.2c)

fuel pipe into filter corroded

rear silencer corroding

Pass 3 Jun 2014 63,015 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

rear silencer corroding

Fail 23 May 2014 63,013 miles

Nearside Front Lower Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Lower Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

rear silencer corroding

Pass 27 Apr 2013 62,854 miles

Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

rear exhaust box getting corroded.

Pass 21 Mar 2012 62,737 miles

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

Pass 8 Mar 2010 62,727 miles

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

Fail 23 Feb 2010 62,726 miles

Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

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

Pass 23 Feb 2009 62,620 miles

speedo n/w

Pass 30 Jan 2008 62,618 miles
Pass 3 Feb 2007 62,218 miles
Pass 9 Feb 2006 62,133 miles

How Reliable is the Mercedes-benz 420?

Based on 24,311 MOT tests across 2,343 vehicles.

75.7%
Pass Rate
809
Miles/Year
40
Year Lifespan
2,343
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 647
Brake pipe excessively corroded 577
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 565
brake binding 530
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 479
Full Mercedes-benz 420 reliability report

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503 HRH is a 1988 Mercedes-benz 420 in Red with a 4,196cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

Across all 1988 Mercedes-benz 420 models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.3% with a typical mileage of 101,568 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 420 fails its MOT is suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 647 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 503 HRH, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mercedes-benz 420 typically stays on UK roads for around 40 years. At 38 years old, this Mercedes-benz 420 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 503 HRH?

You can check the full history of 503 HRH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 503 HRH registered?

503 HRH is a 1988 Mercedes-benz 420, first registered on 16 September 1988.

Is 503 HRH safe to buy?

The MOT history for 503 HRH shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 503 HRH 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 503 HRH. 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.