CarVerify

Free Car Check

5 SPS

1988 Mercedes-benz 500

Silver Petrol 4973cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Jun 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

118,484 mi
Last recorded118,484 miles
Recorded on27 Jun 2026
Typical for 1988 Mercedes-benz 500113,067 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Mercedes-benz
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

Registration5 SPS
MakeMercedes-benz
Model500
Year1988
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,973cc

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 7 fail
Pass 27 Jun 2026 118,484 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 19 Jun 2026 118,470 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle 35% (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Rear fog lamp switch insecure (4.5.3 (a))

Hydraulic leak, but not excessive steering box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 13 Jun 2025 117,604 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 4 Jun 2024 117,326 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Pass 12 Jun 2023 116,687 miles

Front Windscreen wiper blade defective nearside and offside are split (3.4 (b) (i))

Front exhaust system is corroding

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened slight corrosion (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Rear Coil spring corroded nearside and offside paint flaking off (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 30 Mar 2021 115,482 miles

Front front exhaust system corroded

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Fail 30 Mar 2021 115,482 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

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

Front front exhaust system corroded

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 20 Aug 2020 114,387 miles
Fail 20 Aug 2020 114,387 miles

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

Pass 19 Mar 2019 113,661 miles

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced under wheel arch (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 16 Mar 2018 112,519 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2017 110,650 miles

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

Nearside Front of outer sill corroded.

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

Rear coil spring corroded both (2.4.C.1b)

Rear exhaust section corroded.

Pass 22 Mar 2016 109,311 miles

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

oil leak

rear exhaust rusty and tendor

underside rusty in places

Fail 15 Mar 2016 109,293 miles

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings chassis to subframe (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

oil leak

rear exhaust rusty and tendor

underside rusty in places

Pass 31 Mar 2015 107,501 miles

Nearside Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

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

Fail 16 Mar 2015 107,498 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too far to the left (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the left (1.8)

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

Nearside Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

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

Pass 2 Jul 2013 105,205 miles

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

Pass 27 Nov 2012 104,763 miles
Pass 13 Dec 2011 103,237 miles
Fail 13 Dec 2011 103,237 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

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

Pass 7 Mar 2011 102,169 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2010 99,424 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2009 97,717 miles

Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

rear tyres sidewalls lumpy

Pass 6 Feb 2008 93,909 miles

Nail in nearside rear tyre

Pass 5 Mar 2007 93,141 miles
Fail 7 Feb 2006 91,188 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 7 Feb 2006 91,188 miles

How Reliable is the Mercedes-benz 500?

Based on 45,594 MOT tests across 4,342 vehicles.

76.5%
Pass Rate
868
Miles/Year
45
Year Lifespan
4,342
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 1,248
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1,110
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 1,020
brake binding 868
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 807
Full Mercedes-benz 500 reliability report

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

5 SPS is a 1988 Mercedes-benz 500 in Silver with a 4,973cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

Across all 1988 Mercedes-benz 500 models, the average MOT pass rate is 76.7% with a typical mileage of 113,067 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 500 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 1,248 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 5 SPS, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mercedes-benz 500 typically stays on UK roads for around 45 years. At 38 years old, this Mercedes-benz 500 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 5 SPS?

You can check the full history of 5 SPS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 5 SPS registered?

5 SPS is a 1988 Mercedes-benz 500, first registered on 24 October 1988.

Is 5 SPS safe to buy?

The MOT history for 5 SPS shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 5 SPS 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 5 SPS. 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.