BMW 650: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 650 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 0.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,182 individual BMW 650 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 76.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 23 in every 100 BMW 650s 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 650 tested had covered 87,674 miles and was built around 2008.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 650 sits 0.1 points above the national average, ranked 1,559 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 650 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 recorded closing bids for damaged BMW 650s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 650

1. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.8% of tests (2.28x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 6% of tests (2.15x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.7% of tests (2.03x the national rate for this defect)
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.6% of tests (1.57x the national rate for this defect)
5. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.6% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
6. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 1.6% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
7. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.7% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.3% of tests
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.5% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.5% of tests

From 1,180 DVSA-tracked BMW 650 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.11% of these flagged BMW 650 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 650

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a BMW 650 before it actually fails on it.

1. emits excessive dense blue or clearly visible black smoke during acceleration which would obscure the view of other road users, 2.3% of tests (47.68x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 15.2% of tests (2.73x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 13.6% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.4% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 21.4% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 1.7% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25.5% of tests
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 9.8% of tests, also fails
9. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 7.7% of tests
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 5.3% of tests

From 1,180 DVSA-tracked BMW 650 tests, 2024.

BMW 650 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 650 year:

• 2006 BMW 650 - 76.5% first-time pass, 395 tests
• 2007 BMW 650 - 77.4% first-time pass, 243 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

• Peugeot Boxer - 76.8%
• Ssangyong Tivoli - 76.8%
• Nissan Nv250 Acenta Dci - 76.8%
• Fiat Motor Home - 76.8%
• Mercedes-Benz E 400 Amg Ln Ngt Ed Prm+D 4m A - 76.8%
• Toyota Land Cruiser - 76.7%

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

Run a site about the BMW 650? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/bmw-650"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/bmw-650.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="BMW 650 MOT Pass Rate: 76.8% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the BMW 650's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/bmw-650"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/bmw-650.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="BMW 650 most common MOT failure: A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED (2.8% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate