BMW 123: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 123 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,319 individual BMW 123 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 27 in every 100 BMW 123s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average BMW 123 tested had covered 120,863 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 123 sits 3.5 points below the national average, ranked 1,673 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 123 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 123s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 123

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.1% of tests (11.66x 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, 7.8% of tests (8.19x the national rate for this defect)
3. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 1.3% of tests (4.1x the national rate for this defect)
4. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 1.9% of tests (3.19x the national rate for this defect)
5. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.3% of tests (1.94x the national rate for this defect)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 6% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this defect)
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.6% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this defect)
8. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.6% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect)
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 3.4% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this defect)
10. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.7% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this defect)

From 3,318 DVSA-tracked BMW 123 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.09% of these flagged BMW 123 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 123

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 123 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 18.8% of tests (33.5x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 14.1% of tests (3.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 4.6% of tests (3.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.1% of tests (2.44x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 9.6% of tests (1.86x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9.8% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.3% of tests (1.64x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 19.3% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 37.5% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 10.8% of tests

From 3,318 DVSA-tracked BMW 123 tests, 2024.

BMW 123 pass rate by model year

From its 2008 to its 2011 model year, the BMW 123's first-time pass rate has risen 4.3 points, from 72.3% to 76.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each BMW 123 year:

• 2008 BMW 123 - 72.3% first-time pass, 1,146 tests
• 2009 BMW 123 - 71.7% first-time pass, 781 tests
• 2010 BMW 123 - 76.5% first-time pass, 554 tests
• 2011 BMW 123 - 76.6% first-time pass, 435 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

• Mitsubishi Shogun - 73.3%
• Citroen C4 Grand Picasso - 73.3%
• Volkswagen Crafter - 73.2%
• BMW Z3 - 73.1%
• Fiat Talento - 73.1%
• Land Rover Defender - 73%

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