2016 BMW 518: MOT pass rate and reliability
85.9% of 2016 BMW 518s pass the MOT first time, measured across 311 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 113,996 miles.
How the 2016 compares
- Against all BMW 518s (83%, 2,264 tests): +2.9 points
- Against all 2016 cars (80.9%): +5 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every BMW 518 model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2016 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the BMW 518:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 76.5% | 328 | 126,091 |
| 2014 | 84.5% | 895 | 125,954 |
| 2015 | 86.2% | 566 | 122,185 |
| 2016 | 85.9% | 311 | 113,996 |
What this means if you are buying a 2016 518
The 2016 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 2.9 points more often than the BMW 518 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 10-year-old car fails on
A 2016 car is 10 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2016 BMW 518 the average at test was 113,996 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
The strongest year for this model is 2015 at 86.2%, and the weakest in our data is 2013 at 76.5%. That 9.7 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2016 car against a newer one tells you very little.
Nearby model years
- 2013 BMW 518 - 76.5%
- 2014 BMW 518 - 84.5%
- 2015 BMW 518 - 86.2%