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APY 52A

1996 Mercedes-benz Sl

Black Petrol 4973cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 May 2027
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

129,756 mi
Last recorded129,756 miles
Recorded on18 May 2026
Typical for 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl82,468 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationAPY 52A
MakeMercedes-benz
ModelSl
Year1996
ColourBlack
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 5 fail
Pass 18 May 2026 129,756 miles

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

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

Pass 23 May 2025 128,695 miles

Central Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 7 Dec 2023 127,294 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2022 125,347 miles
Pass 23 Nov 2021 124,338 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2020 122,425 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 3.3mm approx and worn on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Tyre obviously under inflated (5.2.3 (l))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 3.3mm approx and worn on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Tyre obviously under inflated (5.2.3 (l))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Pass 23 May 2019 119,824 miles
Pass 24 May 2018 118,741 miles
Fail 23 May 2018 118,740 miles

Parking brake lever defective so that it cannot be satisfactorily operated (1.1.6 (d))

front and rear brake pipes starting to rust

Pass 23 May 2017 116,548 miles
Pass 24 May 2016 113,345 miles

Nearside rear brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

headlamp washing device defective (remains on)

rear differential oil leak

slight free play in offside front wheel bearing

under trays fitted obstructing soome underside components

Fail 19 May 2016 113,338 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside rear brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

headlamp washing device defective (remains on)

rear differential oil leak

slight free play in offside front wheel bearing

under trays fitted obstructing soome underside components

Pass 22 Apr 2015 112,561 miles

Centre Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

exhaust intermediate box outer shell badly corroded

rear diff seals leaking oil

Pass 28 Apr 2014 107,305 miles

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

front tyres worn on edges & at 3 mm.

Pass 18 Apr 2013 103,723 miles

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

Pass 12 Apr 2012 101,460 miles

front tyres worn on inside edge.

Fail 11 Apr 2012 101,460 miles

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

front tyres worn on inside edge.

Pass 19 Apr 2011 95,815 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2010 88,661 miles

drive belt pearished.

Fail 16 Apr 2010 88,661 miles

Offside Front Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

drive belt pearished.

Pass 17 Apr 2009 76,046 miles

Centre Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front Direction indicators slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 12 Apr 2008 74,352 miles

Centre Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 19 Apr 2007 66,352 miles

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

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 13 Apr 2007 66,352 miles

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b) DANGEROUS

Brake performance not tested (3.7.A.1) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

brake warning light on

Pass 4 Sep 2006 65,084 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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APY 52A is a 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl in Black with a 4,973cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

Across all 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl models, the average MOT pass rate is 82.3% with a typical mileage of 82,468 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 APY 52A, 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 30 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 APY 52A?

You can check the full history of APY 52A by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was APY 52A registered?

APY 52A is a 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl, first registered on 24 April 1996.

Is APY 52A safe to buy?

The MOT history for APY 52A shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does APY 52A 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 APY 52A. 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.