Shock absorber leaking on the BMW 120
Shock absorber leaking on the BMW 120 is recorded on 16,200 tests — 10.9% of all its MOT tests, against 3.9% across every car in the data. That is 2.8× the national share.
Is this unusual for this model?
| Compared with | What it says |
|---|---|
| Every car in the data | 3.9% of tests record it — this model is 2.8× that share |
| The 364 models compared | 15 of 364, highest first |
| The model's own record | 148,366 tests · every year of the 120 → |
A share of tests is not a probability for your car: it counts every BMW 120 tested, whatever its mileage, service history and use. The like-for-like comparison on the model page is the fairer number.
Year by year
In 2004, 4.8% of this model's tests recorded it; in 2019, 0.8%. The share has fallen 4.0 points over that time. Worst year 2010 at 6.4%; best 2019 at 0.8%.
| Year | Failures recorded | Tests | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 253 | 5,268 | 4.8% |
| 2005 | 1,106 | 24,966 | 4.4% |
| 2006 | 1,142 | 23,844 | 4.8% |
| 2007 | 1,131 | 26,337 | 4.3% |
| 2008 | 1,988 | 42,786 | 4.7% |
| 2009 | 1,962 | 35,352 | 5.5% |
| 2010 | 2,613 | 40,932 | 6.4% |
| 2011 | 2,086 | 36,420 | 5.7% |
| 2012 | 1,274 | 27,429 | 4.6% |
| 2013 | 574 | 17,030 | 3.4% |
| 2014 | 531 | 21,112 | 2.5% |
| 2015 | 462 | 24,504 | 1.9% |
| 2016 | 577 | 22,548 | 2.6% |
| 2017 | 289 | 15,460 | 1.9% |
| 2018 | 171 | 9,284 | 1.8% |
| 2019 | 33 | 4,176 | 0.8% |
Years with fewer than 0.2% of tests recording the item are left out: a year with two failures in 400 tests is noise, and this table is not here to make noise look like a trend.
What it costs
A typical UK repair for this item is £30–£75 fitted. It is a job a careful owner can do at home. What the part is, and what to buy →
Prices are typical UK supply-and-fitting estimates, not quotes. What happens if it fails covers the retest rules.
Where this sits
- Shock absorber leaking: every model, every year → — the item's own page, with the part guide.
- BMW 120 MOT pass rate by year → — the model's whole record, and what else it fails on.
- Every BMW model →