367,418 tests in 2025
BMW 1 Series reliability and MOT pass rate
81.1% passed first time. The 18.9% fail rate is 3.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 76,764 miles.
Pass rate
81.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
76,764 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 52,947 | 9.1% |
| 6-9 years | 111,313 | 14% |
| 10-13 years | 116,254 | 22.1% |
| 14+ years | 85,741 | 27.2% |
What the 1 Series fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres25,797 dangerous36%
- Suspension1,087 dangerous29.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment139 dangerous28.1%
- Brakes9,262 dangerous25.7%
- Visibility52 dangerous15.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks96 dangerous10.7%
- Body, chassis, structure329 dangerous5.5%
- Road Wheels973 dangerous4.4%
Is the 1 Series getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.5 points to 18.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 388,919 | — | 18.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 398,437 | — | 18.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 347,748 | — | 19.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 365,713 | — | 18.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 1 Series at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 1 Series in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm9,520 tests
- 2Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak8,583 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick6,090 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords5,497 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working5,006 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed4,564 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid4,136 tests
- 8Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction3,867 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 1 Series collects 2.51 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm66,160 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick33,825 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened29,537 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure20,761 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak18,773 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn18,139 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine15,879 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)10,854 tests
Questions
What is the BMW 1 Series MOT pass rate?
81.1% of the 367,418 BMW 1 Series first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW 1 Series usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 9,520 failed tests, followed by "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, tyres appears in 36% of failures, suspension appears in 29.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 28.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.1%; at 14+ years it was 27.2%. The median BMW 1 Series tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 76,764 miles.
Is the BMW 1 Series getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.5 points to 18.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 1 Series trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 29 safety recalls naming the BMW 1 Series: BMW 1 Series recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular 1 Series?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.