Does the BMW 1 Series fail the MOT on body, chassis and structure more than it should?
The BMW 1 Series records 1.25 body, chassis and structure failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.39 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−3.14, 95% interval −3.17 to −3.12). It ranks 485 of 663 models on body, chassis and structure (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on body, chassis and structure · check a BMW 1 Series by registration
What exactly fails on body, chassis and structure?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the BMW 1 Series is “Exhaust system leaking or insecure”, recorded 13,433 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust system leaking or insecure | 13,433 | 0.60 |
| Fuel system leaking, or missing or ineffective filler cap | 2,644 | 0.12 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated | 2,463 | 0.11 |
| A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly | 1,237 | 0.05 |
| Bumper insecure or with damage likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted | 1,124 | 0.05 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,252,061 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a BMW 1 Series gets a body, chassis and structure advisory, how often does it fail next time?
5.9% of BMW 1 Series MOTs with a body, chassis and structure advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 6,744 miles later (29,811 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 29,811 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
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