Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 8,416 tests

Pass rate climbs 9.4 points across the cohorts — newer 740 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 5,112

Pass

88.0%

Fail

9.8%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

91,376 mi

2018–2020 cohort 3,037

Pass

94.1%

Fail

5.0%

PRS

0.5%

Avg mileage at test

52,720 mi

2021+ cohort 267

Pass

97.4%

Fail

1.5%

PRS

0.0%

Avg mileage at test

34,919 mi

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

The picture

740: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 3,569 MOT tests, the 740 returns 86.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 72,185, 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 42–50

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 →

42–50

out of 50

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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

156 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
02

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

88 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
03

A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

84 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

64 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
05

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

59 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
06

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

58 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

50 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
08

Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel

46 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
09

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

40 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
10

A tyre cords visible or damaged

40 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

£140–£335

If every one of this 740'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 9.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 740 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

97.4%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 97.4% — a 9.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 34,919 miles — roughly 56K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, 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. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

88.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 88.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 97.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, and constant velocity boot severely deteriorated. Average mileage on test for this band is 91,376 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (97.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (88.0% pass). That's a 9.4-point spread across 5,112 older tests and 267 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

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Summit

Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£10.99

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Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

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Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Buying or keeping a 740?

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 740 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.