Pass rate
74.0%
Below average — 1.8 pts ahead of the 72.2% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 50 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £35–£137
2004 BMW 318 MOT pass rate
- 2004
- typical 86,841 mi
Only 50 tests of this exact model and year are in the DVSA data, below the 100 we ask for before a page goes in the index. The figures are still shown, because they are the only ones there are.
Most common fault
Emissions & leaks
26.0% of faults · 5.5% nationally
Which year to buy
- Best 2019 89.4% pass
- Avoid 2004 74.0% pass · this year
Across the 17 years on record, a spread of 15.4 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 73.3%
- Typical mileage
- 87k mi
The 2004 BMW 318 MOT pass rate is 74.0% of its MOT tests — 1.8 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Emissions & leaks is the biggest single reason it fails, at 26.0% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how BMW 318 does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 4.7× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 26.0% of everything recorded on the 2004 BMW 318, against 5.5% nationally — 20.5 points above. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 30% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
- Based on a small sample. 50 tests back this page. That is enough to publish and to index, not enough to treat the decimal places as precise — read the pattern, not the second digit.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a BMW 318? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2004 BMW 318 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.2%, so this figure is 1.8 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 73.3%. The median 2004 BMW 318 in this dataset had covered 86,841 mi.
The single most recorded failure item is "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction", noted on 12.00% of tests.
- 50 recorded tests behind this page.
- 74.0% overall pass rate, 73.3% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the BMW 318, the average is 87.9% — best year 2019 (89.4%), worst 2004 (74.0%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 50
- Typical mileage (median)
- 86,841 mi
- Make and model
- BMW 318
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Indicator Bulb
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 318 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 42% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the 318
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 19 | 84.2% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2004 318
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2004 318
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 12.0% of tests
“malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”
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.
-
Check the suspension joints 6.0% of tests
“ball joint excessively worn”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the exhaust and emissions 6.0% of tests
“emissions not tested unable to be completed”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2004 318 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £35–£137 — and 30% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £35–£137
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: emissions not tested unable to be completed
- £60–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 40%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 30%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 50 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 318, side by side
17 model years on record, from 2004 to 2021. Across them the pass rate runs from 74.0% to 89.4% — a spread of 15.4 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2004 74.0%malfunction indicator lamp…
- 2006 85.1% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2007 80.4% ball joint dust cover no longer…
- 2008 77.4% pins and bushes pin or bush…
- 2009 74.6% position lamp not working
- 2010 77.9% shock absorbers has a serious…
- 2011 82.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2012 81.0% shock absorbers has a serious…
- 2013 82.4% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2014 83.5% headlamp not working on dipped…
- 2015 83.3% brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick
- 2016 86.5% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2017 87.3% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 89.1% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 89.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2020 88.2% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2021 86.8% has a cut in excess of the…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2004 BMW 318 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2004 cars with a similar record
- Volkswagen Bora 74.0%
- Toyota Corolla 74.1%
- Mercedes-Benz Clk 73.9%
- Jaguar S-Type 74.1%
- Audi A4 74.2%
- Mazda Mx-5 74.2%
Closest pass rates among 2004 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2004 BMW 318 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 177 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 46 | 26.00% | 5.52% | +20.48 |
| Brakes | 45 | 25.40% | 20.89% | +4.51 |
| Suspension | 33 | 18.60% | 20.98% | −2.38 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13 | 7.30% | 12.21% | −4.91 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 10 | 5.60% | 1.76% | +3.84 |
| Tyres | 9 | 5.10% | 19.76% | −14.66 |
| Non-component advisories | 9 | 5.10% | 4.18% | +0.92 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6 | 3.40% | 5.57% | −2.17 |
| Visibility | 4 | 2.30% | 4.97% | −2.67 |
| Road Wheels | 2 | 1.10% | 0.75% | +0.35 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 12.0% | £3–12 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 6.0% | £18–45 |
| Emissions not tested unable to be completed Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 6.0% | £60–250 |
| Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes | Major | 6.0% | £25–70 |
| All direction indicators flashing more than 120 times a minute Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.0% | £3–12 |
| Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £60–250 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £60–250 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £60–250 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £60–250 |
| Catalyst emissions emits excessive dense blue smoke during acceleration Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £60–250 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 44.0% | £200–700 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 20.0% | £40–150 |
| Registration plates inscription illegible Identification of the vehicle | Advisory | 18.0% | £20–80 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 16.0% | £80–180 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 12.0% | £18–45 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 10.0% | £45–110 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3 | 100.0% | 22,275 mi |
| 30-60k | 3 | 100.0% | 48,810 mi |
| 60-90k | 20 | 75.0% | 77,456 mi |
| 90-120k | 20 | 70.0% | 103,154 mi |
| 120k+ | 4 | 50.0% | 131,055 mi |
Source: 50 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2004 318 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2004 BMW 318?
74.0% of the 50 2004 BMW 318 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.2% for cars first used in 2004. First-attempt pass rate: 73.3%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2004 BMW 318?
The three most recorded items are malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (12.00%), ball joint excessively worn (6.00%), emissions not tested unable to be completed (6.00%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2004 BMW 318 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 50.0% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2004 BMW 318 in this dataset had covered 86,841 mi.