Which BMW models fail their MOT less for their age?
In 2024, 82.1% of MOTs on the 25 BMW models published here passed (78.3% first time, 3.9% after a fix at the test centre), from 1,733,065 first tests. Allowing for age (not mileage), these BMW models fail 22% less often than normal: brand MOT Risk Index 78.1 (95% CI 77.9–78.3; 100 = normal).
Among BMW models with at least 10,000 first tests, the BMW M3 has the lowest index (39.8) and the BMW X2 the highest (99.7, close to normal). On raw pass rates, the BMW i3 comes first instead, because the models' fleets differ in age.
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 25 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
Which BMW models fail least and most for their age?
Of the 25 BMW models, 22 fail less often than normal for their age, 1 more often, and 2 cannot be told apart from normal because their 95% intervals include 100.
| Model | MOT pass rate, % | Passed first time, % | MOT Risk Index | 95% interval | First tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW M5 | 89.2 | 87.3 | 36.7 | 33.8–39.8 | 3,898 |
| BMW M3 | 88.7 | 86.1 | 39.8 | 38.3–41.4 | 15,820 |
| BMW M6 | 88.7 | 87.1 | 42.2 | 36.6–48.6 | 1,281 |
| BMW M8 | 95.2 | 94.2 | 44.1 | 29.9–64.5 | 415 |
| BMW I8 | 90.7 | 89.0 | 49.5 | 43.9–55.7 | 2,175 |
| BMW 7 Series | 86.0 | 83.4 | 59.0 | 57.1–60.9 | 19,187 |
| BMW M2 | 89.3 | 88.4 | 60.9 | 55.7–66.5 | 3,719 |
| BMW M4 | 88.6 | 87.3 | 63.9 | 61.0–66.9 | 12,459 |
| BMW Z4 | 80.5 | 77.2 | 64.7 | 63.5–66.0 | 35,286 |
| BMW 6 Series | 82.0 | 79.5 | 65.4 | 63.7–67.1 | 22,568 |
| BMW X6 | 85.0 | 82.6 | 67.3 | 65.0–69.6 | 15,622 |
| BMW 5 Series | 82.4 | 79.2 | 71.8 | 71.2–72.4 | 211,217 |
| BMW i3 | 89.8 | 87.1 | 72.5 | 70.2–75.0 | 23,610 |
| BMW X5 | 82.3 | 79.2 | 73.5 | 72.6–74.5 | 91,002 |
| BMW X1 | 85.7 | 82.8 | 75.1 | 74.1–76.1 | 107,276 |
| BMW 4 Series | 85.8 | 83.8 | 75.8 | 74.8–76.9 | 106,629 |
| BMW X4 | 87.4 | 85.0 | 79.7 | 76.9–82.6 | 17,419 |
| BMW 3 Series | 79.7 | 75.1 | 80.7 | 80.4–81.1 | 498,596 |
| BMW X3 | 83.6 | 79.9 | 81.7 | 80.7–82.7 | 104,772 |
| BMW Z3 | 73.9 | 68.7 | 83.6 | 81.3–85.8 | 11,668 |
| BMW 1 Series | 81.0 | 76.1 | 85.0 | 84.5–85.5 | 398,575 |
| BMW 8 Series | 86.5 | 85.1 | 89.9 | 84.5–95.6 | 5,789 |
| BMW X2 | 88.1 | 85.2 | 99.7 | 96.3–103.1 | 19,091 |
| BMW IX3 | 88.6 | 87.2 | 105.6 | 96.2–115.7 | 3,077 |
| BMW X7 | 86.5 | 84.8 | 113.9 | 102.3–126.5 | 1,914 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2024 · n = 1,733,065 (initial tests) · Method: MOT Risk Index = observed first-time failures ÷ failures expected for the same age profile × 100; brand index sums both over the 25 models · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Where are BMW models worse than other cars of the same age?
Allowing for age, BMW models fail on tyres more than other cars of the same age: 10.2 failures per 100 tests against 8.7 expected (1.5 more; 95% interval 1.47 to 1.51).
| Failure group | BMW, per 100 tests | Expected for the same age | Difference | 95% interval | Most common failure on (models) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 10.2 | 8.7 | +1.5 | 1.47 to 1.51 | 16 of 25 |
| Road Wheels | 1.1 | 0.4 | +0.7 | 0.72 to 0.74 | 0 of 25 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.6 | 0.4 | +0.2 | 0.16 to 0.17 | 0 of 25 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.0 | 1.1 | -0.1 | -0.10 to -0.09 | 0 of 25 |
| Visibility | 7.0 | 7.8 | -0.8 | -0.78 to -0.75 | 0 of 25 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.3 | 3.6 | -1.3 | -1.35 to -1.33 | 0 of 25 |
| Steering | 0.9 | 2.8 | -1.8 | -1.83 to -1.82 | 0 of 25 |
| Brakes | 9.1 | 11.2 | -2.1 | -2.08 to -2.04 | 2 of 25 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.8 | 5.4 | -3.5 | -3.54 to -3.52 | 0 of 25 |
| Suspension | 9.1 | 14.5 | -5.4 | -5.45 to -5.42 | 3 of 25 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.1 | 16.8 | -6.7 | -6.73 to -6.69 | 4 of 25 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,776,550 (initial tests of the 25 models) · Method: failure items per 100 tests against the rate expected for the same age and kind of vehicle; interval from the count of failures (Poisson); a group is named only when its interval is wholly above zero and it is at least 5% above the expected rate · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). BMW MOT statistics by model 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 25 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/brand/bmw/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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