BMW
25,628 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 640s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
86.7%
Pass-after-fix
2.0%
Fail
10.7%
Avg miles
76,988
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 25,628 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 640 examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
86.7%
Fail
10.8%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
77,926 mi
Pass
86.8%
Fail
10.6%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
48,130 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The BMW 640 is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 11,829 tests puts this car on a 83.9% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 70,563 miles. The most common fail item is damaged tyre sidewall or structure, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.
I own a 2017 BMW 640d Coupe. It easily reaches 70 mph at 1500rpm in auto mode. I think you advise drivers to maintain 2000rpm for 15 miles or so on a dual carriageway or motorway. Should I do this in manual mode in order to achieve the desired revs?.
For used buyers, the 640's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.
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 →
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A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
538 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
443 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
427 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
373 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
288 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
257 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
198 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
159 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
144 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
105 occurrences · 0.4% 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
£140–£335
If every one of this 640'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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy BMW 640 makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
86.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 86.8% — a 0.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 48,130 miles — roughly 30K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, has ply or cords exposed — 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
86.7%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 86.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, has ply or cords exposed, and has a bulge, caused by separation or…. Average mileage on test for this band is 77,926 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (86.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.7% pass). That's a 0.1-point spread across 24,822 older tests and 806 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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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Sleek looks and more handsome than previous 6 Series. Powerful yet economical 640d has an epic engine. Amazingly refined.
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 640 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.
