Pass rate
83.3%
Around average — 1.2 pts ahead of the 82.1% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 138 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £23–£56
2015 BMW 318 MOT pass rate
- 2015
- typical 79,235 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Tyres
34.2% of faults · 19.8% nationally
mostly tread below the limit, cuts and sidewall bulges.
Which year to buy
- Best 2019 89.4% pass
- Avoid 2004 74.0% pass
Across the 17 years on record, a spread of 15.4 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 80.0%
- Typical mileage
- 79k mi
The 2015 BMW 318 MOT pass rate is 83.3% of its MOT tests — 1.2 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Tyres is the biggest single reason it fails, at 34.2% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Tyres: 1.7× the national share
Tyres make up 34.2% of everything recorded on the 2015 BMW 318, against 19.8% nationally — 14.4 points above. Check all four tyres yourself, including the inner shoulders, and look at the date stamp — a tyre can pass on tread and still be six years old.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 28% 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. 138 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 2015 BMW 318 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 82.1%, so this figure is 1.2 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 80.0%. The median 2015 BMW 318 in this dataset had covered 79,235 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Diesel — 84% of tests, with a 85.3% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 83.5% of the time, April–September 83.1%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick", noted on 2.90% of tests.
- 138 recorded tests behind this page.
- 83.3% overall pass rate, 80.0% 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
- 138
- Typical mileage (median)
- 79,235 mi
- Make and model
- BMW 318
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Brake Pads Set
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 318 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 73% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Diesel is the most common here (84% of tests).
Where the BMW 318 is most common
Across all 318 model years on record (2004–2021): 14,243 BMW 318 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 29,335 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 525 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 525 | 89.9% |
| 2 | Glasgow (G) | 470 | 86.2% |
| 3 | Manchester (M) | 300 | 88.4% |
| 4 | Coventry (CV) | 261 | 90.0% |
| 5 | Peterborough (PE) | 261 | 87.4% |
| 6 | Sheffield (S) | 256 | 86.6% |
| 7 | Leicester (LE) | 253 | 90.3% |
| 8 | Warrington (WA) | 240 | 90.1% |
| 9 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 230 | 90.6% |
| 10 | Liverpool (L) | 229 | 87.2% |
| 11 | Nottingham (NG) | 228 | 87.8% |
| 12 | Bristol (BS) | 220 | 81.7% |
| 13 | Edinburgh (EH) | 218 | 84.5% |
| 14 | Cardiff (CF) | 202 | 86.4% |
| 15 | London (E) | 200 | 91.2% |
| 16 | Northampton (NN) | 192 | 84.2% |
| 17 | Hamilton (ML) | 190 | 87.1% |
| 18 | Preston (PR) | 188 | 89.8% |
| 19 | Stockport (SK) | 188 | 88.4% |
| 20 | London (SE) | 183 | 91.0% |
The twenty areas with the most BMW 318 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the 318
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 22 | 90.9% |
| South West | 20 | 80.0% |
| West Midlands | 18 | 94.4% |
| Scotland | 15 | 73.3% |
| East of England | 15 | 86.7% |
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 2015 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 2015 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 brakes 2.9% of tests
“brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”
Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.
-
Check the shock absorbers 2.9% of tests
“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.
-
Check the wipers and washers 2.2% of tests
“wipers blade defective”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
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 2015 318 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £23–£56 — and 28% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £23–£56
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep…
- £45–£95
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 80%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 28%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 138 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 2015 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 2015 cars with a similar record
- Suzuki Jimny 83.3%
- Volkswagen Sharan 83.2%
- Mitsubishi Asx 83.4%
- Suzuki Alto 83.1%
- Kia Picanto 83.0%
- Volvo XC60 83.0%
Closest pass rates among 2015 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 2015 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 160 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 55 | 34.20% | 19.76% | +14.44 |
| Brakes | 43 | 26.70% | 20.89% | +5.81 |
| Suspension | 21 | 13.00% | 20.98% | −7.98 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19 | 11.80% | 12.21% | −0.41 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6 | 3.70% | 5.52% | −1.82 |
| Visibility | 5 | 3.10% | 4.97% | −1.87 |
| Non-component advisories | 5 | 3.10% | 4.18% | −1.08 |
| Steering | 2 | 1.20% | 2.57% | −1.37 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2 | 1.20% | 1.76% | −0.56 |
| Road Wheels | 2 | 1.20% | 0.75% | +0.45 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Major | 2.9% | £18–45 |
| Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak Suspension | Major | 2.9% | £30–75 |
| Wipers blade defective Visibility | Minor | 2.2% | £8–22 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 1.4% | £18–45 |
| Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | Major | 1.4% | £45–95 |
| Has ply or cords exposed Tyres | Major | 1.4% | £45–95 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.4% | £30–80 |
| Headlamp aim too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Rectified | 1.4% | £30–80 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.4% | £3–12 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.4% | £5–25 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 23.9% | £45–95 |
| Brake discs significantly and obviously worn Brakes | Advisory | 8.7% | £45–110 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 8.7% | £18–45 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 6.5% | £45–95 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 5.8% | £45–110 |
| Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak Suspension | Advisory | 5.8% | £30–75 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 8 | 87.5% | 18,207 mi |
| 30-60k | 24 | 87.5% | 45,767 mi |
| 60-90k | 51 | 82.4% | 72,995 mi |
| 90-120k | 33 | 81.8% | 103,193 mi |
| 120k+ | 22 | 81.8% | 137,784 mi |
Source: 138 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.
2015 318 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2015 BMW 318?
83.3% of the 138 2015 BMW 318 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 82.1% for cars first used in 2015. First-attempt pass rate: 80.0%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2015 BMW 318?
The three most recorded items are brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (2.90%), shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (2.90%), wipers blade defective (2.17%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2015 BMW 318 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 87.5% of the time, falling to 81.8% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2015 BMW 318 in this dataset had covered 79,235 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2015 BMW 318?
Diesel: 85.3% pass rate across 116 tests. Petrol: 72.7% pass rate across 22 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2015 BMW 318 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 83.5% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 83.1%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.