Diesel BMW 7 Series: MOT pass rate

85% of diesel BMW 7 Series pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,464 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 110,045.

Diesel against the other BMW 7 Series 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 7 Series specifically, hybrid is the strongest at 91.7%, and this diesel version sits 3.4 points below the 88.4% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel BMW 7 Series 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 7 Series had covered 110,045 miles at test, against 52,400 for the hybrid and 58,266 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 7 Series page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel BMW 7 Series

1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 1.7% of tests (28.86x the national rate for this defect)
2. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.9% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5% of tests
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.4% of tests
5. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.4% of tests
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.2% of tests
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.2% of tests
9. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 0.8% of tests
10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.7% of tests

From 1,472 DVSA-tracked diesel BMW 7 Series tests, 2024, split out from the BMW 7 Series's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 7.52% 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 7 Series

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

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.5% of tests (2.67x the national rate for this defect)
2. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 6.7% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect)
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 23.4% of tests, also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 13% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 7.6% of tests
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.5% of tests, also fails
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 6.3% of tests, also fails
8. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.4% of tests
9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.4% of tests
10. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.1% of tests

From 1,472 DVSA-tracked diesel BMW 7 Series tests, 2024.

Other BMW 7 Series fuel types

• Hybrid BMW 7 Series - 91.7%
• Petrol BMW 7 Series - 88.4%

All BMW 7 Series MOT data · Every model