BMW X1 MOT failure rate and common faults

112,196 BMW X1 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 17.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 23.4% of the time, which makes the BMW X1 24% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.

17.6%

failed first time

112,196 MOT tests in 2025

-24%

vs same age average

average car of this age mix: 23.4%

34 of 208

age adjusted rank

among cars; 1 fails least

71.6

dangerous defects per 1,000

same age average: 91.3

What fails on a BMW X1 MOT

Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.

Tyres83 about average
Suspension67 29% below average
Lights and electrics62 46% below average
Brakes42 44% below average
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors33 24% below average
Engine, emissions and leaks12 53% below average
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts11 53% below average
Wheels5 1.2x average
Number plates and VIN3 14% below average
Seat belts and airbags3 62% below average
Steering2 86% below average

The most common BMW X1 MOT failures

The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.

Failure itemAreaPer 1,000 tests
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively wornSuspension32.5
Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cordsTyres26.2
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mmTyres23.0
Tyres: has ply or cords exposedTyres16.8
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquidWindscreen, wipers and mirrors13.1
Coil spring: fractured or brokenSuspension13.0
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thickBrakes12.7
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectivelyWindscreen, wipers and mirrors10.8
Position lamp: not workingLights and electrics9.1
Headlamp aim: too lowLights and electrics8.9
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BMW X1 MOT failure rate by year

Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.

First registeredTestsFailedSame age averageAverage mileage
20227,4368.5%11.4%26,000
20217,6148.4%12.8%34,800
20207,6589.9%14.1%37,800
201913,59111.2%16.5%44,200
201814,64714.1%19.1%53,600
201713,88115.7%21.8%65,500
201612,49217.2%25.1%72,300
20154,60321.8%28.1%79,500
20147,68926.7%31.4%88,200
20136,99227.3%34.3%93,000
20125,12730.6%36.6%102,800
20115,66331.2%38.8%110,200
20104,40732.1%40.7%116,700

Advisories to look for in a BMW X1's MOT history

An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the BMW X1, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.

  • Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge263.5
  • Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing121.3
  • Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement100.4
  • Brake pads: wearing thin86.4
  • Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened59.2
  • Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material29.3

Checking a used BMW X1 before you buy

The BMW X1 has no part of the car that fails well above average for its age, so check the areas that fail most often overall.

  • Tyres

    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.

  • Suspension

    Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics

    Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.

Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.

Fuel mix of the BMW X1 cars tested: Diesel 64%, Petrol 32%, Hybrid 5%. Average age at test 8.3 years, average recorded mileage 65,600.

BMW X1 MOT questions

What is the BMW X1 MOT failure rate?

17.6% of BMW X1 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 112,196 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 23.4% of the time, so the BMW X1 was 24% less likely to fail.

What fails most often on a BMW X1 MOT?

Tyres caused the most failure items, at 83 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 32.5 times per 1,000 tests.

Which BMW X1 year has the best MOT record?

Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 8.4% failed against an average of 12.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.

Does this tell me whether a particular BMW X1 will pass?

No. These are averages across every BMW X1 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.

Other BMW models

Ranked close to the BMW X1

How these figures are calculated

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many BMW X1 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.