BMW 116 MOT Pass Rate
The BMW 116 has an MOT pass rate of 81%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 18,327 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 161st of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the BMW 116 is tyres, at 31.3% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest BMW 116 year is 2016, which fails more often than the average car registered in the same year.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 October 2026.
- BMW 116 MOT pass rate
- 81%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 18,327
Ranked 161 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the BMW 116 fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 31.3% | 51.3 | 9,402 |
| Brakes | 28.9% | 47.4 | 8,687 |
| Lights and signalling | 10.8% | 17.6 | 3,229 |
| Other items | 8% | 13.1 | 2,406 |
| Suspension | 5.6% | 9.1 | 1,668 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 4.8% | 7.9 | 1,447 |
| Bodywork | 2.7% | 4.4 | 811 |
| Fuel system | 2.2% | 3.6 | 659 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 2% | 3.4 | 614 |
| Steering | 1.8% | 2.9 | 538 |
| Corrosion | 1% | 1.7 | 315 |
| Electrical | 0.4% | 0.7 | 122 |
| Structure | 0.2% | 0.4 | 72 |
| Drivetrain | 0.2% | 0.3 | 53 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the BMW 116 holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | 116 fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 10.9% | 13.1% | 4,324 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 19.3% | 21.7% | 8,004 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 23.8% | 28.3% | 4,426 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 27.2% | 31.4% | 1,527 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | 116 fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 17.9% | 25.3% | 212 |
| 2005 | 21.7% | 25.4% | 332 |
| 2006 | 22.7% | 25.3% | 490 |
| 2007 | 18% | 25.2% | 411 |
| 2008 | 19.3% | 25.3% | 658 |
| 2009 | 20.3% | 24.9% | 1,308 |
| 2010 | 18.7% | 24.5% | 1,414 |
| 2011 | 17.9% | 23.4% | 1,118 |
| 2012 | 21.3% | 22.6% | 1,426 |
| 2013 | 21.2% | 21.6% | 1,599 |
| 2014 | 19.2% | 20.2% | 3,666 |
| 2015 | 17.9% | 18.7% | 2,423 |
| 2016 | 19.5% | 17.3% | 1,563 |
| 2017 | 13.2% | 15.6% | 1,055 |
| 2018 | 15.8% | 14.7% | 222 |
| 2019 | 17.9% | 13.8% | 140 |
| 2020 | 15.5% | 13.3% | 155 |
| 2021 | 19.5% | 12.9% | 77 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
BMW 116 MOT questions
Is the BMW 116 reliable?
On MOT results the BMW 116 is better than average: it passes 81% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 161st of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 19% is 2 percentage points lower than the 21% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the BMW 116 usually fail its MOT on?
Across 18,327 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the BMW 116 were tyres (31.3%), brakes (28.9%) and lights and signalling (10.8%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Which BMW 116 years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest year of the BMW 116 was 2016 (19.5% fail rate against 17.3% for all cars first registered that year, 1,563 tests). The strongest relative to their age were 2010, 2011 and 2009. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, which is why each year is compared with its own age group. Only years with at least 1,000 tests are included.
Does the BMW 116 get worse with mileage?
Yes. The BMW 116 fails 10.9% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 27.2% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 4,324 and 1,527 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the BMW 116 compare with the national average?
The BMW 116 passes 81% of MOT tests, 1.9 percentage points above the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 161st of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific BMW 116
See the full MOT history of the exact car you're looking at, free.
Related reading
What Does 'Brake Disc Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Brake Disc Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Brake Disc Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Suspension Arm Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Suspension Arm Bush Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Suspension Arm Bush Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Rear Suspension Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Rear Suspension Bush Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Other BMW models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 18,327 tests. Last updated 3 October 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/bmw/116