17,376 tests in 2025
BMW 7 Series reliability and MOT pass rate
87.1% passed first time. The 12.9% fail rate is 9.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 89,696 miles.
Pass rate
87.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 12.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
89,696 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2,576 | 7% |
| 6-9 years | 5,876 | 8.8% |
| 10-13 years | 2,892 | 14.1% |
| 14+ years | 5,880 | 19.3% |
What the 7 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.
- Suspension34 dangerous35.8%
- Tyres763 dangerous34.3%
- Brakes159 dangerous21.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12 dangerous17.6%
- Visibility1 dangerous13.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous10.9%
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous9.3%
- Road Wheels182 dangerous9%
Is the 7 Series getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.1 points to 12.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16,786 | — | 14.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 16,793 | — | 13.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 14,249 | — | 13.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 14,344 | — | 12.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 7 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 7 Series in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn226 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn214 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed214 tests
- 4Coil spring: fractured or broken210 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm195 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords193 tests
- 7Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt136 tests
- 8Condition: fractured136 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 7 Series collects 2.53 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 1.6mm2,376 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,478 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,025 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened757 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick701 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded616 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure515 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn487 tests
Questions
What is the BMW 7 Series MOT pass rate?
87.1% of the 17,376 BMW 7 Series first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 12.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW 7 Series usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 226 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, suspension appears in 35.8% of failures, tyres appears in 34.3% of failures, brakes appears in 21.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7%; at 14+ years it was 19.3%. The median BMW 7 Series tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 89,696 miles.
Is the BMW 7 Series getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.1 points to 12.3% 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 7 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 34 safety recalls naming the BMW 7 Series: BMW 7 Series recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular 7 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.