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
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 91.7% | 1,607 |
| Diesel | 85% | 1,464 |
| Petrol | 88.4% | 654 |
| All BMW 7 Series | 88.4% | 3,728 |
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. 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.
Other BMW 7 Series fuel types
- Hybrid BMW 7 Series - 91.7%
- Petrol BMW 7 Series - 88.4%