BMW 116 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 116 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 116 passed on its first attempt in 79.2%, and its overall record sits +1.5 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 116 in the 2023–2025 data: 371,136 tests across 19 model years (2004–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common BMW 116 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 116, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the BMW 116's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 116 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 116, each with how many of the model's 371,136 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 12,430 BMW 116 tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 7,546 BMW 116 tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 7,276 BMW 116 tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 6,345 BMW 116 tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 6,092 BMW 116 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (Major) — noted on about 4,459 BMW 116 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 116 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 116 model year on record is 2021 (90.3% across 3,274 tests), and the weakest is 2004 (75.3%). The gap between them is 15.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 116 Owners

These checks follow this BMW 116's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 116.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “position lamp not working”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”

  Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 116. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 116 MOT & Reliability