Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
BMW
3,719 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 128ti Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
93.3%
Pass-after-fix
1.2%
Fail
5.2%
Avg miles
24,842
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,719 tests
Pass rate drops 1.2 points across the cohorts — recent 128ti Auto examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
94.4%
Fail
4.7%
PRS
0.2%
Avg mileage at test
27,099 mi
Pass
93.2%
Fail
5.2%
PRS
1.3%
Avg mileage at test
24,537 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,719 MOT tests, the 128ti Auto returns 93.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A seriously damaged tyre and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 24,842, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
45 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
41 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
31 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
30 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
12 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
8 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
8 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
7 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
7 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
6 occurrences · 0.2% 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 2 failures
£120–£190
If every one of this 128ti Auto'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.2-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW 128ti Auto makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
94.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 94.4% — a 1.2-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
93.2%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 93.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has a bulge, caused by separation or…. Average mileage on test for this band is 24,537 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (94.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (93.2% pass). That's a 1.2-point spread across 3,274 older tests and 445 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.
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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 128ti Auto 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.