Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
BMW
4,208 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 840i M Sport Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 14.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
91.9%
Pass-after-fix
0.7%
Fail
7.2%
Avg miles
25,965
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 · 4,208 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 840i M Sport Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
92.5%
Fail
4.8%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
27,477 mi
Pass
91.8%
Fail
7.3%
PRS
0.6%
Avg mileage at test
25,852 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 4,208 MOT tests, the 840i M Sport Auto returns 91.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A tyre with the cords showing and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 25,965, 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.
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A tyre seriously damaged
92 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
79 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
50 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
39 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
22 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
11 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
11 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
9 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
7 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.
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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 840i M Sport Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
92.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 92.5% — a 0.6-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
91.8%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 91.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, has ply or cords exposed, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 25,852 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (92.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (91.8% pass). That's a 0.6-point spread across 3,916 older tests and 292 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 M Sport 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.