BMW 225: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 225 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 2,537 individual BMW 225 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 85.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 14 in every 100 BMW 225s 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 225 tested had covered 62,290 miles and was built around 2016.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 225 sits 9 points above the national average, ranked 1,192 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 225 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 225s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 225

1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.8% of tests (12.75x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 0.6% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 5.3% of tests (1.91x the national rate for this defect)
4. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.1% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.6% of tests
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.6% of tests
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.3% of tests
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1% of tests
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.8% of tests

From 2,532 DVSA-tracked BMW 225 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 8.97% of these flagged BMW 225 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 225

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 225 before it actually fails on it.

1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 26.3% of tests, also fails
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 12.8% of tests, also fails
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 7.6% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 6.8% of tests
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.7% of tests, also fails
6. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.2% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.1% of tests
8. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 0.9% of tests
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.9% of tests
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 0.8% of tests

From 2,532 DVSA-tracked BMW 225 tests, 2024.

BMW 225 pass rate by model year

From its 2015 to its 2017 model year, the BMW 225's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.8 points, from 88.1% to 86.3%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each BMW 225 year:

• 2015 BMW 225 - 88.1% first-time pass, 402 tests
• 2016 BMW 225 - 86.1% first-time pass, 782 tests
• 2017 BMW 225 - 86.3% first-time pass, 924 tests
• 2018 BMW 225 - 84.3% first-time pass, 229 tests

BMW 225 by fuel type

The BMW 225's two most-tested fuel types split by 3.3 points: hybrid passes first time 86.7% of the time (1,298 tests) against 83.4% for diesel (823 tests).

• Hybrid BMW 225 - 86.7% first-time pass, 1,298 tests
• Diesel BMW 225 - 83.4% first-time pass, 823 tests
• Petrol BMW 225 - 90% first-time pass, 399 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

• BMW 530e Xdrive M Sport Auto - 85.8%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 119 Sport Cdi Auto - 85.8%
• Mitsubishi Mirage - 85.7%
• Renault Clio Iconic Sce - 85.7%
• Toyota Noah - 85.7%
• Kia Proceed GT-Line S Isg S-A - 85.7%

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?

Embed this data

Run a site about the BMW 225? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/bmw-225"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/bmw-225.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="BMW 225 MOT Pass Rate: 85.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the BMW 225's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/bmw-225"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/bmw-225.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="BMW 225 most common MOT failure: Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel (0.8% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate