BMW 420: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 420 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 8.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 63,149 individual BMW 420 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate84.9%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+8.2 points
Tests analysed63,149
Average mileage at test65,764 miles
Average year of manufacture2017
Reliability rank1,244 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 84.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 15 in every 100 BMW 420s 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 420 tested had covered 65,764 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW 420 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 420 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 420s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 420

  1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.3% of tests (6.14x the national rate for this defect)
  2. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.5% of tests (2.09x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.3% of tests (1.93x the national rate for this defect)
  4. A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber, 0.3% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this defect)
  5. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.9% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.8% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this defect)
  7. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.8% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
  8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2% of tests
  9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.1% of tests
  10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.8% of tests

From 124,736 DVSA-tracked BMW 420 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 9.79% of these flagged BMW 420 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 420 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 420 year:

BMW 420 by fuel type

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

Other BMW models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate