BMW 418: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 418 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 993 individual BMW 418 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 82.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 17 in every 100 BMW 418s 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 418 tested had covered 89,592 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 418 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 418 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 418s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 418

1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.9% of tests (3.76x 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, 1.1% of tests (1.57x the national rate for this defect)
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.3% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
4. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.5% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.4% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2% of tests
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.1% of tests
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.9% of tests
9. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 0.9% of tests
10. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.9% of tests

From 1,822 DVSA-tracked BMW 418 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 8.03% of these flagged BMW 418 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 418 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 418 year:

• 2015 BMW 418 - 79.7% first-time pass, 418 tests
• 2016 BMW 418 - 86.7% first-time pass, 360 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

• Mercedes-Benz E 220 Amg Lne Ngt Ed Prm + D A - 82.7%
• MINI Cooper Auto - 82.7%
• Land Rover Discovery Sport Hse D Auto - 82.7%
• Toyota Estima - 82.6%
• Volkswagen California - 82.6%
• Lexus Rx450h - 82.6%

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