BMW 1 Series MOT Check
MOT pass rates, common failures, and reliability data for the BMW 1 Series. Check any 1 Series by registration number below.
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83.3%
Avg Pass Rate
-3.3%
vs BMW Avg
18
Year Ranges
Good
Reliability
BMW 1 Series — MOT Reliability Overview
The BMW 1 Series has an average MOT pass rate of 83.3%, which is 3.3 percentage points below the BMW brand average of 86.6%. This is a strong result, indicating that the 1 Series is well-engineered and tends to age well mechanically. Owners can expect fewer surprises at MOT time.
The most common reasons a BMW 1 Series fails its MOT are lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension, brakes. If you are preparing your 1 Series for its MOT, checking these areas first could save you a retest fee. Our detailed fault analysis includes estimated repair costs for each failure type.
Typical mileage for the 1 Series is around 42,000 miles at 5 years. When evaluating a used 1 Series, compare the odometer reading against these benchmarks. Significantly lower mileage than expected could indicate a clocked vehicle — run a free mileage check to verify.
Before buying a used BMW 1 Series, we recommend checking the full MOT history, write-off status, outstanding finance, and stolen vehicle status. These checks can be done for free using the registration number.
MOT Pass Rate by Year
How the BMW 1 Series performs at MOT across different model years.
2024
Based on 30 vehicles
0.0%
2020
Based on 81 vehicles
1.5%
1.5%
28k mi
2019
Based on 45,132 vehicles
3.6%
10.8%
42k mi
65k mi
2018
Based on 37,987 vehicles
3.0%
9.0%
68k mi
2017
Based on 24,751 vehicles
2.6%
10.3%
75k mi
2016
Based on 9,779 vehicles
2.1%
9.3%
2015
Based on 5,142 vehicles
2.2%
10.2%
110k mi
2014
Based on 6,548 vehicles
2.4%
9.9%
121k mi
2013
Based on 44,103 vehicles
5.1%
21.0%
139k mi
2012
Based on 37,755 vehicles
5.3%
24.0%
147k mi
2011
Based on 6,871 vehicles
4.9%
21.5%
2010
Based on 5,778 vehicles
6.1%
24.8%
2009
Based on 5,133 vehicles
6.8%
21.6%
2008
Based on 3,911 vehicles
6.0%
23.2%
2007
Based on 2,642 vehicles
6.2%
29.2%
2006
Based on 1,678 vehicles
7.5%
23.8%
2005
Based on 1,603 vehicles
7.8%
25.4%
2004
Based on 85,000 vehicles
1.5%
12.5%
24k mi
42k mi
82k mi
Top MOT Failures — BMW 1 Series
The most common reasons a BMW 1 Series fails its MOT, aggregated across all year ranges.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Suspension
Brakes
Tyres
Exhaust, fuel and emissions
Typical Mileage — BMW 1 Series
Average mileage readings recorded at MOT tests for the 2004 model year range. Use these benchmarks to evaluate a used 1 Series.
At 3 Years
24,000
miles
At 5 Years
42,000
miles
At 10 Years
82,000
miles
Other BMW Models
Compare MOT reliability across BMW models.
BMW 1 Series — Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the BMW 1 Series MOT and reliability.
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW 1 Series?
What are the most common MOT failures on a BMW 1 Series?
Is the BMW 1 Series reliable?
How do I check the MOT history of a BMW 1 Series?
What mileage should I expect on a BMW 1 Series?
Check Your BMW 1 Series's MOT History
Enter the registration number for the full MOT history — free and instant.