BMW Common MOT Problems (2026)

The most common MOT problems on BMW cars vary by model and age, but typically include lighting defects, suspension wear, brake wear and tyre condition, which are the most common reasons for failure across all makes in DVSA's published MOT statistics. Older BMW diesels are more prone to exhaust and emissions failures. Of the BMW models with at least 1,000 tests, the BMW 523 has the highest average fail rate at 23%. The BMW 735 is level on 23%.

In our data, the BMW M3 Competition Auto has the best MOT record of the BMW models with at least 1,000 tests: 98% of its 1,821 MOT tests ended in a pass and 2% in a fail. Newer models tend to pass more often simply because they are younger, so compare models of a similar age.

The average MOT pass rate for BMW is 88%, based on 4,026,707 MOT tests across 299 models (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). That means roughly 12% of MOT tests on BMW cars ended in a fail.