BMW 130: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 130 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 881 individual BMW 130 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 79.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 BMW 130s 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 130 tested had covered 115,113 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW 130 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 130 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 130s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 130

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.9% of tests (4.19x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.2% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this defect)
3. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.2% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
4. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.1% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
5. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2% of tests
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.8% of tests
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.6% of tests
8. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.4% of tests
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.2% of tests

From 1,473 DVSA-tracked BMW 130 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.04% of these flagged BMW 130 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 130 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 130 year:

• 2006 BMW 130 - 78.8% first-time pass, 273 tests
• 2007 BMW 130 - 84.9% first-time pass, 298 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

• Volkswagen Amarok - 79.7%
• Mercedes-Benz 300 - 79.7%
• Renault Trafic Sl28 B-Ness Energy Dci - 79.7%
• Dacia Duster - 79.6%
• Renault Trafic Sl28 B-Ness+ Energy Dci - 79.6%
• Vauxhall Vivaro 2700 Edition S/S - 79.6%

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