Petrol BMW 116: MOT pass rate

77.5% of petrol BMW 116s pass the MOT first time, measured across 35,736 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 85,739.

Petrol against the other BMW 116 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.

On the BMW 116 specifically, diesel is the strongest at 79.9%, and this petrol version sits 1.6 points below the 79.1% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The petrol BMW 116 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average petrol BMW 116 had covered 85,739 miles at test, against 88,487 for the diesel. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the BMW 116 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a petrol BMW 116

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.4% of tests (15x 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, 2.4% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this defect)
3. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.3% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
4. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4.5% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.8% of tests
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.6% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.3% of tests
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.3% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.1% of tests

From 35,986 DVSA-tracked petrol BMW 116 tests, 2024, split out from the BMW 116's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 5.4% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a petrol BMW 116

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 12.1% of tests (21.5x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.6% of tests (2.02x the national rate for this defect)
3. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.9% of tests (1.8x the national rate for this defect)
4. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9.9% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
5. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 5.7% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this defect), also fails
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 4.6% of tests (1.44x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 14.9% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 11.3% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect), also fails
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 32% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect), also fails
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.1% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)

From 35,986 DVSA-tracked petrol BMW 116 tests, 2024.

Other BMW 116 fuel types

• Diesel BMW 116 - 79.9%

All BMW 116 MOT data · Every model