21.0%
Rigid brake pipe
A rigid metal brake pipe is corroded, damaged, kinked, or leaking. These permanently fixed pipes carry pressurised brake fluid — any weakness is a serious safety concern.
MOT wording: Brake pipe corroded or covered in grease
BMWUsed-car reliability
How reliable is a used BMW?
At 7 years old, the average BMW fails its MOT less often than the average UK car.
MOT fail rate · 7-year-old cars
BMW13.3%
UK average16.6%
Fails less often than the average 7-year-old car (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%)
Where to start
The lowest and highest fail rates in the BMW range
The BMW models whose MOT tests at 7 years old most and least often ended in a fail. All of them fail less often than the average car this age (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%).
Lowest fail rates
- 1
BMW 7 Series8.9%fail rate - 2
BMW M39.8%fail rate - 3
BMW M210.8%fail rate
Highest fail rates
- 1
BMW 1 Series14.8%fail rate - 2
BMW X414.6%fail rate - 3
BMW X214.6%fail rate
What actually goes wrong
What breaks on BMW cars
The most common MOT faults across the BMW range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on BMW cars that recorded that defect.
18.1%
Tyre condition
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
MOT wording: Tyre worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge
9.2%
Shock absorber / damper
A shock absorber (damper) is worn, leaking, or insecure. Worn dampers cause bouncy handling and longer stopping distances because the tyres lose contact with the road.
MOT wording: Shock absorber has a light misting of oil
8.8%
Suspension arms, struts and anti-roll bar
A suspension arm, wishbone, strut, sub-frame, or anti-roll bar is worn, cracked, bent, or has excessive play. These structural parts hold the wheels in position and control body lean in corners.
MOT wording: Suspension part corroded, but not seriously weakened
Across all BMW models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
Every BMW that ranks, in plain English
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. Every model here fails less often than the UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%). Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
17 models
BMW 7 Series
The lowest 7-year fail rate of any BMW here.
8.9%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW i8
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
9.1%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW M3
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
9.8%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW M2
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
10.8%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW i3
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
12.0%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW X5
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
12.3%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW X3
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
12.4%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW M4
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
12.5%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW 5 Series
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
12.7%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW 6 Series
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
12.8%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW X1
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
13.0%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW 3 Series
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
13.1%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW 4 Series
Among the lower fail rates in the BMW range at 7 years old.
13.2%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW X6
Above the BMW average, but below the UK average.
13.7%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW X2
Above the BMW average, but below the UK average.
14.6%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW X4
Above the BMW average, but below the UK average.
14.6%fail rate at 7 years old
BMW 1 Series
Above the BMW average, but below the UK average.
14.8%fail rate at 7 years old
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Not directly comparable with the figures at 7 years old
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Too new to rankBMW X7
11.1%fail rate at 4 years old · 800 MOT tests
Too old to rankBMW M5
11.3%fail rate at 11 years old · 532 MOT tests
Too new to rankBMW iX
12.5%fail rate at 3 years old · 4,272 MOT tests
Too new to rankBMW iX3
12.6%fail rate at 3 years old · 6,384 MOT tests
Too new to rankBMW 8 Series
12.7%fail rate at 4 years old · 2,050 MOT tests
Too new to rankBMW i4
14.5%fail rate at 3 years old · 4,474 MOT tests
Too old to rankBMW Z4
22.5%fail rate at 18 years old · 4,417 MOT tests
Too old to rankBMW Z3
24.8%fail rate at 25+ years old · 9,349 MOT tests
Looking at one in particular?
Averages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.