BMW 118: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 118 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 5.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 149,475 individual BMW 118 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 81.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 18 in every 100 BMW 118s 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 118 tested had covered 70,597 miles and was built around 2015.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW 118 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 118 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 118s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 118

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.8% of tests (2.53x the national rate for this defect)
2. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.5% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.6% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.5% of tests
6. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.4% of tests
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.2% of tests
9. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1% of tests
10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.7% of tests

From 257,421 DVSA-tracked BMW 118 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.36% of these flagged BMW 118 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 118 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 118 year:

• 2004 BMW 118 - 61.3% first-time pass, 261 tests
• 2005 BMW 118 - 68.8% first-time pass, 1,623 tests
• 2006 BMW 118 - 67.7% first-time pass, 2,660 tests
• 2007 BMW 118 - 71.4% first-time pass, 3,341 tests
• 2008 BMW 118 - 70.7% first-time pass, 5,555 tests
• 2009 BMW 118 - 70.8% first-time pass, 7,501 tests
• 2010 BMW 118 - 72.7% first-time pass, 10,041 tests
• 2011 BMW 118 - 73.1% first-time pass, 9,212 tests
• 2012 BMW 118 - 73.2% first-time pass, 5,713 tests
• 2013 BMW 118 - 77.9% first-time pass, 5,517 tests
• 2014 BMW 118 - 80.3% first-time pass, 4,377 tests
• 2015 BMW 118 - 84.5% first-time pass, 10,998 tests
• 2016 BMW 118 - 84.8% first-time pass, 13,780 tests
• 2017 BMW 118 - 86.3% first-time pass, 14,711 tests
• 2018 BMW 118 - 86.7% first-time pass, 11,105 tests
• 2019 BMW 118 - 88.4% first-time pass, 10,288 tests
• 2020 BMW 118 - 91.2% first-time pass, 18,041 tests
• 2021 BMW 118 - 92% first-time pass, 13,164 tests
• 2022 BMW 118 - 96.1% first-time pass, 726 tests

BMW 118 by fuel type

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

• Petrol BMW 118 - 87.3% first-time pass, 79,582 tests
• Diesel BMW 118 - 76.7% first-time pass, 69,056 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• 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%
• BMW 5 Series - 85.3%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Land Rover Range Rover Sport - 82%
• Lexus Ls430 - 82%
• Morris Minor - 82%
• Audi A6 - 81.9%
• Jaguar Xk - 81.9%
• Vauxhall Vivaro 2900 Edition S/S - 81.9%

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