Mercedes Benz 260 (1986)

What to check before buying a 1986 Mercedes Benz 260

Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.

• 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
• 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
• 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
• 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.

Before you buy a Mercedes Benz 260

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Mileage Distribution

Most 1986 Mercedes Benz 260 vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

Half of all 1986 Mercedes Benz 260 vehicles fall between 95,821 and 166,619 miles.

1986 Mercedes Benz 260 — Still on the Road

11 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2018 — 58% of the peak remain.

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2018.

MOT History Averages

Most Common MOT Issues — 1986 Mercedes Benz 260

Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.

• 25.9%
  Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
• 24.9%
  Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
• 24.5%
  Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
• 23.6%
  Parking brake: efficiency below requirements
• 22.7%
  Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
• 22.3%
  Oil leak
• 18.4%
  Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive
• 15.7%
  Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1986. Counts include advisories and failures.

Found a specific Mercedes Benz 260?

Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.