BMW 116: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 116 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 1.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 106,711 individual BMW 116 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 78.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 21 in every 100 BMW 116s 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 116 tested had covered 86,241 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. On a BMW 116 bought as a 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 116 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 what damaged BMW 116s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 116

1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.9% of tests (3.74x the national rate for this defect)
2. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.7% of tests (2.4x the national rate for this defect)
3. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.9% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.5% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect)
5. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.7% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.8% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 2% of tests
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.8% of tests
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.6% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.2% of tests

From 178,850 DVSA-tracked BMW 116 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.23% of these flagged BMW 116 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 116 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each BMW 116 year:

• 2004 BMW 116 - 69.4% first-time pass, 415 tests
• 2005 BMW 116 - 71.1% first-time pass, 1,329 tests
• 2006 BMW 116 - 71.7% first-time pass, 2,767 tests
• 2007 BMW 116 - 71% first-time pass, 2,713 tests
• 2008 BMW 116 - 72.1% first-time pass, 2,328 tests
• 2009 BMW 116 - 73.2% first-time pass, 5,498 tests
• 2010 BMW 116 - 73.4% first-time pass, 5,777 tests
• 2011 BMW 116 - 74.6% first-time pass, 6,354 tests
• 2012 BMW 116 - 74.7% first-time pass, 6,738 tests
• 2013 BMW 116 - 78.4% first-time pass, 10,661 tests
• 2014 BMW 116 - 80% first-time pass, 19,427 tests
• 2015 BMW 116 - 81% first-time pass, 14,497 tests
• 2016 BMW 116 - 82.8% first-time pass, 11,743 tests
• 2017 BMW 116 - 85.2% first-time pass, 8,241 tests
• 2018 BMW 116 - 85.2% first-time pass, 2,304 tests
• 2019 BMW 116 - 86.2% first-time pass, 1,330 tests
• 2020 BMW 116 - 89.3% first-time pass, 2,334 tests
• 2021 BMW 116 - 90% first-time pass, 1,494 tests

BMW 116 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Diesel BMW 116 - 79.9% first-time pass, 70,263 tests
• Petrol BMW 116 - 77.5% first-time pass, 35,736 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%
• BMW 5 Series - 85.3%

Models with a similar pass rate

• BMW 114 - 78.7%
• Lexus Is300 - 78.7%
• Toyota Yaris - 78.6%
• Smart (Mcc) Forfour - 78.6%
• Ford Tourneo Custom 320 Zetec Eblue - 78.6%
• Vauxhall Combo 2000 Griffin Ed Turbo D - 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

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate