BMW 135 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 135 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 135 passed on its first attempt in 84.8%, and its overall record sits +5.5 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 135 in the 2023–2025 data: 3,631 tests across 9 model years (2007–2016). 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 135 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 135, the Visibility 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 135's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 135 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 135, each with how many of the model's 3,631 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 131 BMW 135 tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 50 BMW 135 tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim too high" (Rectified) — noted on about 33 BMW 135 tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 31 BMW 135 tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 26 BMW 135 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 24 BMW 135 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 135 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 135 model year on record is 2016 (94.9% across 59 tests), and the weakest is 2008 (84.7%). The gap between them is 10.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW 135 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 135 Owners

These checks follow this BMW 135's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 135.

• 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 shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

• the lights — “headlamp aim too high”

  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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 135. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 135 MOT & Reliability