BMW 640: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The BMW 640 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 6.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 10,004 individual BMW 640 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 83.1% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | +6.4 points |
| Tests analysed | 10,004 |
| Average mileage at test | 76,733 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 2015 |
| Reliability rank | 1,334 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 83.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 17 in every 100 BMW 640s 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 640 tested had covered 76,733 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 640 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 640 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 640s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a BMW 640
- A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID), 0.4% of tests (14.61x the national rate for this defect)
- Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.7% of tests (14.47x the national rate for this defect)
- 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, 0.4% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
- Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.5% of tests (2.9x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre seriously damaged, 3.6% of tests (1.81x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
- A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.4% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.4% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this defect)
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.2% of tests
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.7% of tests
From 22,331 DVSA-tracked BMW 640 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 11.21% of these flagged BMW 640 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
BMW 640 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 640 year:
- 2011 BMW 640 - 83.9% first-time pass, 428 tests
- 2012 BMW 640 - 80.5% first-time pass, 977 tests
- 2013 BMW 640 - 82.1% first-time pass, 1,247 tests
- 2014 BMW 640 - 82.5% first-time pass, 1,932 tests
- 2015 BMW 640 - 85.2% first-time pass, 1,916 tests
- 2016 BMW 640 - 86% first-time pass, 1,763 tests
- 2017 BMW 640 - 83.6% first-time pass, 1,040 tests
- 2018 BMW 640 - 80.5% first-time pass, 655 tests
BMW 640 by fuel type
Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:
- Diesel BMW 640 - 83.1% first-time pass, 9,031 tests
- Petrol BMW 640 - 86.7% first-time pass, 933 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
- Vauxhall Corsa E Se Nav - 83.2%
- Mazda Cx-5 - 83.1%
- Nissan Leaf - 83.1%
- BMW 216 - 83.1%
- Renault Trafic Business Energy Dci - 83.1%
- Toyota Hilux Active D-4d 4wd Ecb - 83.1%
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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