BMW 116 years to avoid — 311,302 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2018, 2019, 2020. Strongest in the data: 2007 or 2008. The ranking uses 311,302 MOT tests across 17 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 4.3-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every 116 year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2008 Strong 108.5 +8.5 pts 73.7% 7,004
2 2007 Strong 107.9 +7.9 pts 73.0% 7,955
3 2009 107.0 +7.0 pts 73.4% 16,197
4 2006 106.9 +6.9 pts 71.3% 8,252
5 2005 106.6 +6.6 pts 71.1% 3,928
6 2010 106.5 +6.5 pts 73.9% 17,012
7 2011 106.1 +6.1 pts 75.3% 18,786
8 2013 105.3 +5.3 pts 78.6% 31,684
9 2014 104.4 +4.4 pts 80.2% 57,825
10 2012 103.2 +3.2 pts 74.4% 19,823
11 2015 102.6 +2.6 pts 81.4% 43,025
12 2016 101.4 +1.4 pts 82.7% 34,782
13 2017 100.8 +0.8 pts 84.8% 24,393
14 2021 98.9 -1.1 pts 89.3% 2,890
15 2018 Inspect 98.8 -1.2 pts 85.2% 6,857
16 2020 Inspect 98.0 -2.0 pts 88.0% 6,938
17 2019 Inspect 98.0 -2.0 pts 86.4% 3,951

Why 2018 and 2019 and 2020 rank lower

The 2018 cohort passes 85.2% of tests (-1.2 points versus same-age cars) at a median 54,456 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2020 cohort passes 88.0% of tests (-2.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 39,984 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2019 cohort passes 86.4% of tests (-2.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 45,406 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2018 example beats a neglected 2007 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (4.3 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which 116 years should I avoid?

Based on 311,302 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2018, 2019, 2020 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best 116 year to buy used?

2007 and 2008 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the 116 reliable overall?

Across 311,302 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 104.4 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.