MOT cost .
BMW F Series
MOT 2023
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BMW

F Series

4,075 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where F Seriess pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 12.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

88.3%

Pass-after-fix

4.3%

Fail

7.2%

Avg miles

28,324

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

The picture

F Series: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 4,075 MOT tests, the F Series returns 88.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-functioning shock absorber. Brake pads worn below 1.0 mm and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 28,324, 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.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    65 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  2. 02

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    44 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  3. 03

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    29 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  4. 04

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    23 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  5. 05

    Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution

    20 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  6. 06

    A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    16 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  7. 07

    Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    16 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  8. 08

    Steering head bearings excessively stiff, notchy, or with excessive wear or play

    14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  9. 09

    Audible warning not working

    14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  10. 10

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

    10 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

£140–£255

If every one of this F 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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

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

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · 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

Buying or keeping a F 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 F 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.