BMW
11,425 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 440s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.4%
Pass-after-fix
1.0%
Fail
8.1%
Avg miles
46,952
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 · 11,351 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 440 examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
90.6%
Fail
7.9%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
51,410 mi
Pass
90.2%
Fail
8.5%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
39,570 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 5,360 MOT tests, the 440 returns 88.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A tyre with the cords showing and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 39,212, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
36–48
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A tyre seriously damaged
205 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
187 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
153 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
121 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
91 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade defective
54 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
39 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
35 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
33 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
24 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 440'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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy BMW 440 makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.6%
Pre-2018 registration
the older band (pre-2018) climbs to 90.6% — a 0.3-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
90.2%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 90.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, has a cut in excess of the…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 39,570 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: pre-2018 (90.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (90.2% pass). That's a 0.3-point spread across 4,127 older tests and 7,224 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 440 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.
