Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 2,671 tests

Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old K 1600 examples track each other at the test bay.

Pre-2018 cohort 1,534

Pass

96.1%

Fail

3.1%

PRS

0.8%

Avg mileage at test

21,203 mi

2018–2020 cohort 924

Pass

95.3%

Fail

2.1%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

12,253 mi

2021+ cohort 213

Pass

95.8%

Fail

3.3%

PRS

0.9%

Avg mileage at test

8,580 mi

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

The picture

K 1600: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,510 MOT tests, the K 1600 returns 95.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Brake pads worn below 1.0 mm and headlamp aim out of spec round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 16,333, 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:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

15 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
02

A wheel bearing excessively rough

11 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
03

Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
04

Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution

4 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
05

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

3 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
06

A wheel bearing so rough it is likely to overheat or break up

3 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
07

A wheel bearing with excessive play

3 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
08

A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded

3 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
09

Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

2 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
10

A tyre not fitted in accordance with the direction of rotation marked on the side wall

2 occurrences · 0.1% 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 3 failures

£150–£335

If every one of this K 1600'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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy BMW K 1600 makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

96.1%

Pre-2018 registration

the older band (pre-2018) climbs to 96.1% — a 0.7-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: rough when rotated, tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.

Band to be cautious about

95.3%

2018–2020 registration

On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 95.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, less than 1.0 mm thick, and rough when rotated. Average mileage on test for this band is 12,253 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: pre-2018 (96.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (95.3% pass). That's a 0.7-point spread across 924 older tests and 1,534 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

Item 02 · 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 03 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

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

View at My Motor World →

Summit

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

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit

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

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert

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

£18.69

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Buying or keeping a K 1600?

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 K 1600 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.