BMW
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%
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 · 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.
Pass
90.6%
Fail
6.9%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
31,561 mi
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
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
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
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A tyre cords visible or damaged
116 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
78 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
73 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
37 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
18 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
15 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
15 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
11 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
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.
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 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.
