MOT cost .

BMW

840i Auto

5,276 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 840i Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 12.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

90.2%

Pass-after-fix

1.9%

Fail

7.4%

Avg miles

31,105

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ compliant

Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

2 year bands · 5,276 tests

Pass rate drops 5.9 points across the cohorts — recent 840i Auto examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.

2018–2020 cohort 4,857

Pass

90.6%

Fail

6.9%

PRS

2.0%

Avg mileage at test

31,561 mi

2021+ cohort 419

Pass

84.7%

Fail

14.1%

PRS

0.5%

Avg mileage at test

25,806 mi

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

The picture

840i Auto: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,800 MOT tests, the 840i Auto returns 86.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. A seriously damaged tyre and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 23,737, 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 26–44

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →

26–44

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    116 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  2. 02

    A tyre seriously damaged

    78 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  3. 03

    A tyre seriously damaged

    73 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  4. 04

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

    37 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  5. 05

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    18 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  6. 06

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    15 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre seriously damaged

    15 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  8. 08

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  9. 09

    Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel

    11 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    11 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 840i 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 →

Try the calculator

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 5.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 840i Auto has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

90.6%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.6% — a 5.9-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has ply or cords exposed, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.

Band to be cautious about

84.7%

2021+ registration

On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 84.7% 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 bulge, caused by separation or…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 25,806 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (84.7% pass). That's a 5.9-point spread across 419 older tests and 4,857 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.

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Buying or keeping a 840i Auto?

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 840i 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.