BMW MOT results 2025: pass rates and faults
79.3% of BMW MOT tests in 2025 ended in a first-time pass, 7.0 points above the 72.3% figure for every make in Great Britain.
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BMW in the 2025 MOT data
- first-time pass
- 79.3%
- allowing for age
- 78.7%
- all makes
- 72.3%
- position
- 5 of 33
- first tests
- 1,887,430
Source: DVSA's anonymised 2025 Class 4 MOT records for Great Britain, initial tests only, and DVLA vehicle data. Worked out by Motoring Insider.
A make's average is not a forecast for any single car. Check the one you are buying.
- Ranked 5 out of 33 makes once vehicle age is evened out
- 1,887,430 first tests in the figures
- Most common failure item: windscreen or window damage
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Pass rates describe thousands of cars. A history report looks at one: money owed on it, write-off and theft records, and how its mileage has moved.
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How BMW did at its 2025 MOTs
Each figure counts the first test only. Retests and abandoned tests are left out.
Clean pass
79.3%
Passed with nothing fixed
Share of BMW first tests that ended in a pass with no repair made at the test centre.
Against all makes
7.0 points higher
Compared with 72.3% across Great Britain
Worked out before rounding, so it can differ slightly from the gap between the rounded rates.
Allowing for age
78.7%
Age-adjusted pass rate
What BMW would score if its cars had the same spread of ages as the whole fleet.
Fixed on the day
3.7%
Passed after a repair at the test
A fault was put right at the test centre during that first visit, so the car left with a pass.
Size of sample
1,887,430
BMW first tests counted
Every qualifying first test of a BMW in 2025.
Where BMW ranks among 33 makes
Younger fleets pass more often, so a raw pass rate flatters makes with newer cars on the road. We gave every make with 50,000 tests or more the same age profile as the whole fleet, then ranked them. BMW came 5 of 33.
| Make | Pass rate allowing for age |
|---|---|
| Lexus | 83.9% |
| Tesla | 82.0% |
| Jaguar | 78.8% |
| BMW (position 5) | 78.7% |
| Honda | 78.2% |
| Land Rover | 77.8% |
| Subaru | 77.5% |
The straight first-time pass rate for all makes was 72.3%. The ranking compares test results only. It says nothing about breakdowns or repair bills.
BMW pass rates as cars get older
At 3 years old, BMW's first-time pass rate was 88.1%, against 88.5% for all makes of the same age. At 20 years it was 66.1%, against 57.6%. BMW came out ahead in 17 of the 18 age groups shown, and the gap was widest at 17 years (11.6 points ahead).
| Age | BMW tests | BMW first-time pass | All makes, same age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 108,016 | 88.1% | 88.5% |
| 4 years | 112,808 | 88.7% | 87.2% |
| 5 years | 108,753 | 88.1% | 86.0% |
| 6 years | 159,796 | 87.0% | 83.5% |
| 7 years | 157,553 | 85.3% | 80.9% |
| 8 years | 155,741 | 83.8% | 78.2% |
| 9 years | 160,982 | 82.3% | 74.9% |
| 10 years | 145,047 | 80.1% | 71.9% |
| 11 years | 123,357 | 76.6% | 68.6% |
| 12 years | 107,815 | 73.1% | 65.8% |
| 13 years | 93,547 | 69.8% | 63.5% |
| 14 years | 74,499 | 70.9% | 61.2% |
| 15 years | 64,136 | 69.4% | 59.3% |
| 16 years | 53,957 | 68.4% | 58.3% |
| 17 years | 46,983 | 68.8% | 57.2% |
| 18 years | 46,671 | 68.6% | 57.4% |
| 19 years | 38,434 | 67.0% | 57.0% |
| 20 years | 29,101 | 66.1% | 57.6% |
What BMW cars failed on most
The five items testers wrote down most often when a BMW failed. Each figure is a share of all failure items, not of tests, and one failed test can list several. Four of the five show up more often on BMW cars than across all makes. The biggest difference is tyre seriously damaged: 7.18% of BMW failure items, against 3.57% overall.
| Failure item | BMW | All makes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windscreen or window damage: Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view | 7.39% | 4.19% |
| 2 | Tyre seriously damaged: A tyre seriously damaged | 7.18% | 3.57% |
| 3 | Tyre tread below the requirements: Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 5.76% | 3.74% |
| 4 | Suspension joint or bush worn: A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 4.82% | 6.03% |
| 5 | Tyre cords exposed or damaged: A tyre cords visible or damaged | 4.31% | 2.09% |
BMW MOT pass rates by model
15 BMW models had 5,000 tests or more, enough to compare. Highest: I3, 86.9% from 26,183 tests. Lowest: 120, 71.5% from 38,567 tests.
Model rates are not adjusted for age, so a model with mostly older cars on the road will look worse. Class 4 also covers taxis and some light vans, which can appear in the list.
| Model | First-time pass | Tests | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| I3 | 86.9% | 26,183 | 1 |
| 320 | 85.7% | 40,306 | 2 |
| 5 SERIES | 83.4% | 72,235 | 3 |
| 420 | 82.2% | 61,588 | 4 |
| X1 | 81.9% | 106,326 | 5 |
| 218 | 80.8% | 46,493 | 6 |
| X5 | 79.2% | 76,349 | 7 |
| X3 | 79.1% | 88,999 | 8 |
| 118 | 78.8% | 152,065 | 9 |
| Z4 | 77.7% | 35,177 | 10 |
| 1 SERIES | 77.6% | 77,525 | 11 |
| 520 | 77.3% | 71,781 | 12 |
| 3 SERIES | 72.6% | 346,649 | 13 |
| 116 | 72.1% | 100,563 | 14 |
| 120 | 71.5% | 38,567 | 15 |
Before you buy a used BMW
The MOT record is free and worth reading first. The rest takes a little longer.
Read its MOT record
Every pass, fail and advisory on file for the registration, with the mileage at each test. Free.
Run a history report
Outstanding finance, theft and write-off records, salvage, mileage, recalls and a valuation for the one registration.
See it in person
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Budget for running it
Look up its road tax and the servicing a car of that age and mileage usually needs.
BMW MOT FAQs
What is the BMW MOT pass rate?
In 2025, 79.3% of BMW first tests ended in a clean pass, against 72.3% for all makes. With vehicle age evened out, the rate was 78.7%, placing BMW 5 of 33.
What do BMW cars fail their MOT on most?
The most frequent failure item was windscreen or window damage, followed by tyre seriously damaged and tyre tread below the requirements.
Which BMW model has the best MOT pass rate?
I3, with 86.9% from 26,183 tests. Only models with 5,000 tests or more are compared, and model rates are not age-adjusted.
Is an MOT pass rate a measure of reliability?
Only partly. It shows how BMW cars did on the day of the test. Breakdowns, repair bills and the state of any one car are not in the data.
What counts as passing first time?
The car passed at its first test, with nothing repaired at the test centre and no retest.
Can I see a BMW's MOT history for free?
Yes. Enter the registration on our home page to see its passes, fails, advisories and recorded mileage.
What does a history report add?
The checks an MOT record cannot show: finance still owed, theft and write-off records, salvage history, mileage, recalls and a valuation.
How we worked out these figures
We used DVSA's anonymised records of Class 4 MOT tests in Great Britain from 1 January to 31 December 2025, keeping first tests and leaving out retests, abandoned and aborted tests.
- Clean pass: passed at the first test with nothing fixed at the test centre
- Passed after a repair: a fault was fixed at the test centre during that first test
- Tests counted: clean passes, fails and passes after a repair at the first test
- Repair share: passes after a repair as a percentage of the tests counted
- Class 4: cars, taxis and some light vans
- Makes compared: at least 50,000 tests
- Models compared: at least 5,000 tests
- Age groups shown: at least 300 tests
- Fault figures: a share of failure items, not of tests
- Age adjustment: our own method, not a DVSA statistic
MOT results from DVSA's anonymised MOT tests and results. Vehicle data from DVLA. Analysis by Motoring Insider. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.