MOT pass rates / BMW
BMW MOT pass rates and common failures
BMW cars passed 78.5% of their MOTs first time in 2024, across 1,544,333 class-4 initial tests and 95 model groups. That is above the 71.2% UK average, and ranks BMW 15th of 59 makes in the dataset.
Pass rates track age more strongly than badge: an older BMW is compared here against older cars of every other make, so read the age table below before drawing conclusions about the brand.
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What BMW cars fail on
The items most often behind a first-test failure across BMW model groups, as a share of BMW tests. DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes rather than every possible one.
- Condition — 5.1% of BMW tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Headlamp Aim — 2.8% of BMW tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Tread Depth — 1.7% of BMW tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
- Shock Absorbers — 1.3% of BMW tests. Leaking or worn dampers. Replaced in pairs and noticeable in how the car rides.
- Brake Performance — 1.3% of BMW tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Washers — 1.2% of BMW tests. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
- Position Lamps — 1.1% of BMW tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Exhaust Emissions — 1% of BMW tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
BMW MOT pass rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 300,569 | 87.9% |
| 6–9 years | 530,079 | 83.7% |
| 10–14 years | 411,839 | 73% |
| 15–30 years | 300,978 | 67.2% |
BMW models by MOT pass rate
| Model | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Series | 318,739 | 72.1% |
| 118 | 114,283 | 78% |
| 116 | 95,384 | 72.7% |
| X1 | 87,411 | 82.9% |
| X3 | 83,584 | 78.4% |
| X5 | 72,528 | 78.7% |
| 520 | 66,558 | 76.9% |
| 1 Series | 64,918 | 78.7% |
| 5 Series | 64,512 | 83.3% |
| 420 | 53,580 | 83.2% |
| 218 | 40,926 | 82.1% |
| 120 | 37,671 | 71.4% |
| 320 | 33,832 | 85.9% |
| Z4 | 30,311 | 77.1% |
| I3 | 21,977 | 87.1% |
| 530 | 20,951 | 75.5% |
| 2 Series | 17,494 | 85.7% |
| 330 | 14,247 | 85.8% |
| X4 | 13,591 | 84% |
| M3 | 13,223 | 85.7% |
| X6 | 12,786 | 82.1% |
| 525 | 11,989 | 70.5% |
| 430 | 11,978 | 83.8% |
| 435 | 11,929 | 84% |
| 220 | 11,797 | 81.5% |
| Z3 | 10,632 | 68.9% |
| M4 | 10,446 | 86.9% |
| 640 | 9,357 | 81.4% |
| 535 | 7,615 | 80.4% |
| 730 | 7,549 | 82.6% |
| 330e M Sport Auto | 7,452 | 83.8% |
| 316 | 7,432 | 69.8% |
| M135i Xdrive Auto | 7,380 | 89.8% |
| 318 | 7,157 | 83% |
| X2 | 7,062 | 84.8% |
| X3 Xdrive20d M Sport MHEV Auto | 6,270 | 89% |
| 218i M Sport Auto | 5,196 | 88.2% |
| 520d M Sport MHEV Auto | 4,761 | 87.9% |
| 6 Series | 4,583 | 84.3% |
| 320i M Sport Auto | 4,386 | 88.5% |
| 440 | 4,266 | 87.3% |
| X5 Xdrive45e M Sport Auto | 4,165 | 82.9% |
| 335 | 4,090 | 86.4% |
| 125 | 3,957 | 79.7% |
| 216 | 3,598 | 77.8% |
| M5 | 3,524 | 87.3% |
| 218i M Sport | 3,412 | 86.7% |
| 7 Series | 3,248 | 86% |
| M2 | 3,084 | 88% |
| 114 | 3,064 | 71% |
| 123 | 3,062 | 68.5% |
| 420i M Sport Auto | 2,817 | 88.8% |
| 740 | 2,774 | 87.1% |
| 330e SE PRO Auto | 2,607 | 84.7% |
| 630 | 2,539 | 71.5% |
| 428 | 2,419 | 81.7% |
| 320d M Sport MHEV Auto | 2,392 | 85.6% |
| 225 | 2,323 | 83.4% |
| X3 Xdrive30e M Sport Auto | 2,260 | 88.1% |
| 518 | 2,152 | 79.7% |
| 218i Sport | 2,001 | 87% |
| 523 | 1,982 | 68.4% |
| M340i Xdrive MHEV Auto | 1,871 | 88% |
| M235i Xdrive Auto | 1,865 | 89.9% |
| M340i Xdrive Auto | 1,739 | 87.9% |
| X2 Sdrive20i M Sport Auto | 1,688 | 85.8% |
| M340d Xdrive MHEV Auto | 1,653 | 87.4% |
| 528 | 1,625 | 75.6% |
| 840i Auto | 1,557 | 86.6% |
| 218i SE | 1,517 | 85.8% |
| I8 | 1,492 | 88.9% |
| X5 Xdrive30d M Sport MHEV Auto | 1,488 | 88.4% |
| 220d M Sport Auto | 1,468 | 86.7% |
| 8 Series | 1,466 | 86.1% |
| IX3 Premier Edition | 1,396 | 86.8% |
| X3 M Competition Auto | 1,396 | 89.9% |
| 645 | 1,372 | 72.4% |
| X4 Xdrive20d M Sport MHEV Auto | 1,364 | 89.3% |
| Alpina | 1,341 | 84.1% |
| 128ti Auto | 1,340 | 90.6% |
| 220i M Sport Auto | 1,313 | 87% |
| 635 | 1,307 | 76.7% |
| 330e Sport PRO Auto | 1,303 | 86.3% |
| X2 Xdrive20d M Sport Auto | 1,300 | 85.2% |
| 225xe M Sport Premium Auto | 1,212 | 88% |
| X1 Xdrive25e M Sport Auto | 1,181 | 90% |
| M6 | 1,167 | 87.3% |
| 330e Xdrive M Sport Auto | 1,147 | 83.9% |
| 650 | 1,122 | 74.1% |
| X2 Sdrive20i Sport Auto | 1,119 | 87% |
| M440i Xdrive MHEV Auto | 1,107 | 88% |
| 318i M Sport Auto | 1,101 | 86.7% |
| 218i Sport Auto | 1,059 | 87.2% |
| 4 Series | 1,034 | 80% |
| 218i SE Auto | 1,010 | 86.8% |
Methodology and limitations
MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.
Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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