BMW
181,479 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 1 Seriess pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
83.8%
Pass-after-fix
3.4%
Fail
12.3%
Avg miles
74,046
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 181,430 tests
Pass rate climbs 8.5 points across the cohorts — newer 1 Series examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
81.4%
Fail
14.1%
PRS
4.0%
Avg mileage at test
85,913 mi
Pass
89.9%
Fail
8.0%
PRS
1.7%
Avg mileage at test
44,560 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 3
BMW 1 Series · UK market
2004–2011
2011–2019
2019–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the BMW 3 Series Compact and is currently in its fourth generation.
MOT data from 96,352 tests puts this car on a 81.3% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 70,607 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
Buyers weighing up a used 1 Series should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
18–34
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
3,970 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
3,319 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
2,332 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,884 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,818 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,661 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
1,652 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
1,546 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
1,526 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade defective
1,193 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£148–£290
If every one of this 1 Series's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 8.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 1 Series has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.9%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.9% — a 8.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 44,560 miles — roughly 41K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
81.4%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 81.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has a serious fluid leak. Average mileage on test for this band is 85,913 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (81.4% pass). That's a 8.5-point spread across 129,438 older tests and 51,992 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
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Draper Expert
Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Recall history
The 1 Series has 42 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 1 Series and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
