Petrol BMW 740: MOT pass rate
86.7% of petrol BMW 740s pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,004 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 89,764.
Petrol against the other BMW 740 versions
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 89.7% | 2,111 |
| Petrol | 86.7% | 1,004 |
| All BMW 740 | 88.7% | 3,132 |
Why the fuel type changes the number
Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.
On the BMW 740 specifically, diesel is the strongest at 89.7%, and this petrol version sits 2 points below the 88.7% model average.
What it means if you are buying one
The petrol BMW 740 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 petrol BMW 740 had covered 89,764 miles at test, against 73,491 for the diesel. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.
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 740 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.
Most common MOT failures on a petrol BMW 740
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.5% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.4% of tests (1.28x the national rate for this defect)
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.3% of tests
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.5% of tests
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.5% of tests
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.1% of tests (3.06x the national rate for this defect)
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.1% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged, 1.1% of tests
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1% of tests
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 0.9% of tests (3.26x the national rate for this defect)
From 1,016 DVSA-tracked petrol BMW 740 tests, 2024, split out from the BMW 740's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 3.56% 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 petrol BMW 740
Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.
- A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 2.4% of tests (4.21x the national rate for this defect)
- Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 14.9% of tests (2.67x the national rate for this defect)
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 9.4% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect), also fails
- Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 1.5% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 15.6% of tests, also fails
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 10.4% of tests, also fails
- A tyre seriously damaged, 9.5% of tests, also fails
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 5.6% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3.6% of tests
- Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.6% of tests
From 1,016 DVSA-tracked petrol BMW 740 tests, 2024.
Other BMW 740 fuel types
- Diesel BMW 740 - 89.7%