Diesel BMW 635: MOT pass rate

78.1% of diesel BMW 635s pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,509 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 126,017.

Diesel against the other BMW 635 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the BMW 635 specifically, petrol is the strongest at 83.3%, and this diesel version sits 1.1 points below the 79.2% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel BMW 635 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel BMW 635 had covered 126,017 miles at test, against 111,860 for the petrol. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the BMW 635 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel BMW 635

1. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3% of tests (2.34x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.9% of tests (2.33x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.8% of tests (2.09x the national rate for this defect)
4. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.3% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this defect)
5. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.1% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this defect)
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8.1% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4.4% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.3% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.3% of tests

From 1,510 DVSA-tracked diesel BMW 635 tests, 2024, split out from the BMW 635's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 6.52% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel BMW 635

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.6% of tests (2.68x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.4% of tests (2.48x the national rate for this defect)
3. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 13.3% of tests (2.39x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 27.5% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.2% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 34% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this defect), also fails
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 15.3% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 8.8% of tests, also fails
9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 5.8% of tests
10. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 4.4% of tests

From 1,510 DVSA-tracked diesel BMW 635 tests, 2024.

Other BMW 635 fuel types

• Petrol BMW 635 - 83.3%

All BMW 635 MOT data · Every model