BMW X1 years to avoid — 304,169 MOT tests ranked

No clear negative outlier after correcting for age. Strongest in the data: 2010 or 2016. The ranking uses 304,169 MOT tests across 13 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age.

Every X1 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 2010 Strong 107.0 +7.0 pts 74.3% 13,901
2 2016 Strong 106.1 +6.1 pts 87.4% 37,141
3 2011 105.7 +5.7 pts 74.9% 17,598
4 2017 104.9 +4.9 pts 88.9% 41,211
5 2013 104.2 +4.2 pts 77.5% 21,245
6 2015 104.2 +4.2 pts 82.9% 13,754
7 2012 103.6 +3.6 pts 74.8% 15,907
8 2018 103.5 +3.5 pts 89.8% 43,305
9 2019 103.3 +3.3 pts 91.7% 40,616
10 2021 102.2 +2.2 pts 92.6% 11,179
11 2014 102.0 +2.0 pts 77.9% 23,065
12 2020 102.0 +2.0 pts 92.0% 20,875
13 2022 101.6 +1.6 pts 92.8% 4,372

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished older example beats a neglected 2010 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.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which X1 years should I avoid?

No year is a clear negative outlier after correcting for age, so buy on condition and history rather than year.

What is the best X1 year to buy used?

2010 and 2016 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 X1 reliable overall?

Across 304,169 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 103.6 (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.