Does the BMW 1 Series fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The BMW 1 Series records 6.37 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 13.48 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−7.11, 95% interval −7.16 to −7.07). It ranks 543 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a BMW 1 Series by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the BMW 1 Series is “A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage”, recorded 57,158 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 57,158 | 2.54 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 34,786 | 1.54 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 12,562 | 0.56 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 12,412 | 0.55 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 7,726 | 0.34 |
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 suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
15.5% of BMW 1 Series MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,569 miles later (146,134 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 146,134 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
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