Car statistics
Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 statistics
How many Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the E 2.5-16 compares with other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 190. Built from DVLA licensing records, with MOT results for the Mercedes-Benz 190.
- Licensed in Great Britain 46 −8.0% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 269 Off the road, not taxed
- Still registered 48.8% Other Mercedes-Benz 190 versions 9.7%
- Licensed in 1994 635 when this data begins
- Share of Mercedes-Benz 190s 4.4% of those licensed or SORN
- Declared off the road 85.4% of those still registered are SORN
How many Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s are left in Great Britain?
There were 46 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s licensed in Great Britain at the end of June 2026, and a further 269 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 92.8% lower than the 635 in 1994, when this data begins. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 85.4% of those still registered are off the road.
Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s licensed and SORN in Great Britain
This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.
| Year | Licensed | Declared SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 635 | – |
| 1995 | 622 | – |
| 1996 | 621 | – |
| 1997 | 605 | – |
| 1998 | 598 | – |
| 1999 | 580 | – |
| 2000 | 544 | – |
| 2001 | 511 | – |
| 2002 | 488 | – |
| 2003 | 456 | – |
| 2004 | 418 | – |
| 2005 | 356 | – |
| 2006 | 309 | – |
| 2007 | 278 | 124 |
| 2008 | 241 | 136 |
| 2009 | 197 | 159 |
| 2010 | 166 | 165 |
| 2011 | 143 | 167 |
| 2012 | 131 | 150 |
| 2013 | 104 | 197 |
| 2014 | 91 | 212 |
| 2015 | 79 | 229 |
| 2016 | 78 | 235 |
| 2017 | 71 | 250 |
| 2018 | 68 | 254 |
| 2019 | 64 | 264 |
| 2020 | 60 | 267 |
| 2021 | 53 | 269 |
| 2022 | 46 | 276 |
| 2023 | 42 | 279 |
| 2024 | 41 | 275 |
| 2025 | 39 | 276 |
| 2026 | 46 | 269 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
How many Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s have survived?
48.8% of Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 190 from the same era, the figure is 9.7%, so Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16s are 5.0 times as likely to have survived.
Share still registered (licensed or SORN)
Compared with 4 other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 190 from the same era.
| Version | Share still registered |
|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 | 48.8% |
| Other Mercedes-Benz 190 versions of the same age | 9.7% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Mercedes-Benz 190 MOT reliability
In 2025, 72.2% of Mercedes-Benz 190 MOT tests were passed first time, against 72.8% for all cars. Cars of the same ages pass 61.0% of the time, so the Mercedes-Benz 190 does better than average for its age, by 11.2 points.
DVSA's MOT results name the model, not the version, so these figures cover all Mercedes-Benz 190s tested, the E 2.5-16 among them. For the full breakdown, including defects in detail and results year by year, see the Mercedes-Benz 190 page.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: Mercedes-Benz 190 vs all cars
Each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older fleet does not count against the model.
| Vehicle age | Mercedes-Benz 190 | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| 20+ years | 72.4% | 61.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failure categories
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common reason a Mercedes-Benz 190 fails. A failed test can have defects in more than one category.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 44.4% |
| Suspension | 33.0% |
| Brakes | 29.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 26.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 18.1% |
| Visibility | 13.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 190
Versions of the Mercedes-Benz 190 with their own page. The Mercedes-Benz 190 page covers all 2,201 licensed, whatever the version.
| Version | Licensed | SORN | Still registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 | 46 | 269 | 48.8% |
| Mercedes-Benz 190 E 16 | 23 | 174 | 35.0% |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 315 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 records (licensed and SORN) | 2 October 2026 |
| MOT results (whole model) | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 2,521 MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately, from 2007.
- This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “190E 2.5-16”, “190E 2.5-16 AUTO”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
- Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.