2006 Mercedes-Benz C 1.8L Petrol · KO06 ABV

The vehicle emerges from the DVSA record with a fundamentally sound status, but the certificate is no longer valid. On 22 January 2025 the car passed its MOT at 163,112 miles with no defects recorded, after failing and being re-tested on the same day at the same mileage. A similar fail-then-pass sequence occurred in January 2024, when the car failed on 17 January at 157,478 miles and passed six days later at 157,480 miles. Across all five test events listed, the DVSA logged zero defects and zero advisories, which points to a stable maintenance narrative rather than a worsening one. The mileage history is broadly typical for a twenty-year-old car. At roughly 8,156 miles per year, the C-Class has neither been overworked nor left indefinitely standing. The annual increments do vary, though. Between the January 2023 pass at 144,173 miles and the January 2024 pass at 157,480 miles, the car covered about 13,300 miles, while the following twelve months recorded just under 5,600 miles. That swing suggests lighter recent use, which can be benign, but the current MOT certificate has now been expired for over six months, since late January 2026, and no fresh test appears on file as of August 2026. With no recorded advisories to lean on, a prospective buyer must rely on a hands-on inspection for age-related wear. On a 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class at 163,112 miles, the suspension bushes, coil springs, and lower control arm ball joints deserve close attention, as do the brake discs and pads for uneven wear and any binding calipers. Structural corrosion on the sills, subframes, and floor pans should be probed, since surface rust can slip through an MOT while still developing underneath. Tyre condition, tread depth, and brand matching across all four corners are worth a direct look too. The fail-then-pass pattern, with no refusal items listed, implies each initial failure was minor and rectified promptly, which reflects an owner who addressed defects rather than deferring them. The real concern is the unexplained gap since January 2025 and the absence of a valid test today. A car of this age that has stood idle for months can develop seized brake components and perished rubber just as quickly as one in daily use, so arranging a fresh independent inspection before purchase is the only sensible route.