Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 8,785 tests

Pass rate climbs 7.3 points across the cohorts — newer 7 Series examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 4,415

Pass

85.8%

Fail

11.3%

PRS

2.3%

Avg mileage at test

98,516 mi

2018–2020 cohort 2,783

Pass

93.5%

Fail

5.3%

PRS

0.5%

Avg mileage at test

52,122 mi

2021+ cohort 1,587

Pass

93.0%

Fail

5.2%

PRS

1.3%

Avg mileage at test

39,409 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

7 Series: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 3,812 MOT tests, the 7 Series returns 87.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. Tyre tread under the limit and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 75,093, 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

Group 40–50

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 →

40–50

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

172 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
02

A tyre seriously damaged

93 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
03

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

77 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
04

Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel

76 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
05

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

66 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
06

A tyre seriously damaged

66 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
07

A tyre cords visible or damaged

65 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

63 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
09

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

47 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
10

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

45 occurrences · 0.5% 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

£160–£480

If every one of this 7 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 →

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Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 7.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 7 Series has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.5%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.5% — a 7.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 52,122 miles — roughly 46K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, fractured — 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

85.8%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 85.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, pin or bush excessively worn, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 98,516 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (85.8% pass). That's a 7.8-point spread across 4,415 older tests and 2,783 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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Recall history

44 UK recalls on record.

The 7 Series has 44 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a 7 Series?

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 7 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.