BMW 730: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 730 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 9,408 individual BMW 730 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate84.7%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+8 points
Tests analysed9,408
Average mileage at test104,226 miles
Average year of manufacture2013
Reliability rank1,260 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 84.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 15 in every 100 BMW 730s 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 730 tested had covered 104,226 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 730 sits 8 points above the national average, ranked 1,260 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 730 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 730s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 730

  1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.9% of tests (14.64x the national rate for this defect)
  2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 1% of tests (2.43x the national rate for this defect)
  3. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.7% of tests (2.27x the national rate for this defect)
  4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 4.9% of tests
  5. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.6% of tests
  6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.3% of tests
  7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.9% of tests
  8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.9% of tests
  9. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.4% of tests
  10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.2% of tests

From 9,402 DVSA-tracked BMW 730 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.64% of these flagged BMW 730 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 730

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 730 before it actually fails on it.

  1. A transmission shaft flexible coupling excessively deteriorated, 1% of tests (16.01x the national rate for this advisory)
  2. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 2.5% of tests (4.48x the national rate for this advisory)
  3. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9.2% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this advisory)
  4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 17.3% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 27.8% of tests, also fails
  6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 6.6% of tests
  7. A tyre seriously damaged, 6.2% of tests, also fails
  8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 5.9% of tests
  9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 4.1% of tests
  10. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.7% of tests

From 9,402 DVSA-tracked BMW 730 tests, 2024.

BMW 730 pass rate by model year

From its 2006 to its 2020 model year, the BMW 730's first-time pass rate has risen 20.4 points, from 73.5% to 93.9%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each BMW 730 year:

BMW 730 by fuel type

The BMW 730's two most-tested fuel types split by 6.5 points: diesel passes first time 85.6% of the time (8,985 tests) against 79.1% for petrol (340 tests).

Other BMW models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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BMW 730 MOT pass rate badge: 84.7%

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BMW 730 most common MOT failure: Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel (0.9% of tests)

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate