BMW 114: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 114 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,361 individual BMW 114 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 78.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 21 in every 100 BMW 114s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average BMW 114 tested had covered 88,203 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 114 sits 2 points above the national average, ranked 1,494 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific BMW 114 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged BMW 114s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 114

1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 2% of tests (6.55x the national rate for this defect)
2. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.7% of tests (2.55x the national rate for this defect)
3. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.5% of tests (2.46x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 5.1% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this defect)
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3.4% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this defect)
6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.7% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.2% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
8. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.5% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.6% of tests
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.3% of tests

From 3,359 DVSA-tracked BMW 114 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.81% of these flagged BMW 114 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 114

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a BMW 114 before it actually fails on it.

1. A shock absorber which has negligible damping effect, 0.7% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.4% of tests (1.62x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 5.1% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.7% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this advisory)
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 13.4% of tests (1.43x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 36.6% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 16.3% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this advisory)
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 9.9% of tests, also fails
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 7.1% of tests

From 3,359 DVSA-tracked BMW 114 tests, 2024.

BMW 114 pass rate by model year

From its 2013 to its 2014 model year, the BMW 114's first-time pass rate has risen 1.2 points, from 78.5% to 79.7%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each BMW 114 year:

• 2013 BMW 114 - 78.5% first-time pass, 1,814 tests
• 2014 BMW 114 - 79.7% first-time pass, 1,132 tests
• 2015 BMW 114 - 82.4% first-time pass, 273 tests

BMW 114 by fuel type

The BMW 114's two most-tested fuel types split by 2 points: petrol passes first time 80% of the time (1,841 tests) against 78% for diesel (1,503 tests).

• Petrol BMW 114 - 80% first-time pass, 1,841 tests
• Diesel BMW 114 - 78% first-time pass, 1,503 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mercedes-Benz A-Class - 78.7%
• Mitsubishi Asx - 78.7%
• Citroen C5 - 78.7%
• Lexus Is300 - 78.7%
• Toyota Yaris - 78.6%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate