BMW
R Series
14,916 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where R Seriess pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
91.3%
Pass-after-fix
3.3%
Fail
5.2%
Avg miles
39,841
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
BMW R Series: solid MOT record across 11,039 tests
The BMW R Series is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 11,039 tests puts this car on an 92.3% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 38,795 miles. The most common fail item is brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.
For used buyers, the R Series's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.
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
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
89 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 02
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
69 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 03
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
64 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 04
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution
53 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 05
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
41 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing or inoperative
33 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 07
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
31 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 08
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
29 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 09
A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released
26 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 10
Steering ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
24 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 R 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 →
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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
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
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.
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
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Buying or keeping a R 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 R 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.