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Brand research · 4 models · 5–10 years old (registration era)

BMW MOT pass rates and common failures

BMW 1 Series, X1 and 3 Series fill UK used shortlists. Compare MOT pass rates and defect-note mix at 5–10 years before you treat one clean pass as the whole story.

Data created

MOT pass rate is not a reliability rating — it is the share of recorded DVSA tests that passed for each make and model in this age band. Use Compare for two models, or browse BMW MOT reports.

89.1%
Highest here: BMW X1340k MOT tests
87.4%
Lowest here: BMW 118378k MOT tests
3.8M
MOT tests at 5–10 years old (registration era)all models, same metric as the brand matrix
3.9 million
BMW vehicles in the source dataall registration years

Two BMW models can sit 1.7 points apart on the same badge — research the model, then inspect the car.

By model

Top BMW models by MOT test volume

The 4 models with the most MOT tests in our BMW lineup at 5–10 years. Pass rate and failure category split are public; defect codes and severity detail require credits.

BMW 118

378k MOT tests at 5–10 years

87.4%

Failure breakdown · public summary

  • Owner maintenance72%
  • Wear & tear12%
  • Systemic2%
  • Other14%
Compare 118 with another model

BMW X1

340k MOT tests at 5–10 years

89.1%

Failure breakdown · public summary

  • Owner maintenance72%
  • Wear & tear10%
  • Systemic2%
  • Other15%
Compare X1 with another model

More brand research

BMW MOT data — common questions

Does a good BMW MOT pass rate mean the car is reliable?

No. MOT pass rate is not a reliability rating. It is the share of recorded DVSA tests that passed for that BMW model in this 5–10 year band. It does not prove breakdowns, repair cost, or the condition of one seller’s car.

Which BMW models have the most MOT tests on this page?

The four highest-volume models in this age band are 118 (87.4% pass rate, 378k tests); X1 (89.1% pass rate, 340k tests); 3 Series (87.6% pass rate, 274k tests); 5 Series (88.7% pass rate, 250k tests). Pass rate is a test outcome, not a ranking of the most reliable car.

Is this BMW page a registration MOT check?

No. This is make and model research from aggregated DVSA tests. For one vehicle, use GOV.UK MOT history. Use Compare to put two models on the same age band.
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Go deeper

What a full BMW 118 report looks like

Vehicle age: 5–10 years old (registration era). Pass rate and category split above are live age-band aggregates; the sections below show the report layout credits unlock.

Pass rate

87.4%

Live age-band stat

Maintenance compliance

74 / 100

Mileage-normalised score

Defects per 1k miles

7.1

vs age-band percentile

Common systemic components

  • Suspension arm bush worn excessively (1.1.11 (c))
  • Coil spring fractured or broken (1.1.2 (a))
  • Brake disc worn, pitted or scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
  • Excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.1.3 (b))

Unlock DVSA-coded defects, severity splits, first-MOT patterns, and year-on-year trends for BMW 118

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