2020 BMW 420 MOT pass rate: 89.3% (9,404 tests)

2020-registered BMW 420s passed 89.3% of 9,404 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — broadly in line with same-age cars (89.9%). This is one of the lower-scoring 420 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

89.3%Pass rate, 2020 cars

99.4Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

9,404Tests analysed

29,748 miMedian mileage at test

89.8% / 88.3%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2020 420 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2020-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	90.9% +0.1 vs same-age
2024	88.9% -1.1 vs same-age
2025	88.0% -0.9 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2020 420

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	980	64.6%
2	Brakes	185	12.2%
3	Visibility	117	7.7%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	88	5.8%
5	Suspension	40	2.6%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	33	2.2%

All 420 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2013	1,650	79.5%	+6.2 pts	95,744
2014	22,950	80.3%	+4.5 pts	85,570
2015	30,312	83.3%	+4.6 pts	79,202
2016	33,734	85.6%	+4.2 pts	71,172
2017	33,477	86.7%	+2.7 pts	60,278
2018	30,456	87.4%	+1.0 pts	47,658
2019	22,641	87.3%	-1.1 pts	39,105
2020 (this page)	9,404	89.3%	-0.6 pts	29,748

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: BMW 420 years to avoid.

Buying a 2020 420? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2020 BMW 420 reliable?

2020-registered examples passed 89.3% of their MOT tests (9,404 tests, 2023–2025), -0.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 6 years old with a median 29,748 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2020 420?

The median tested example shows 29,748 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.