BMW 340I MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 340I MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 340I passed on its first attempt in 92.2%, and its overall record sits +11.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 340I in the 2023–2025 data: 2,807 tests across 4 model years (2016–2019). 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 340I MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 340I, the Tyres 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 340I's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 340I DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 340I, each with how many of the model's 2,807 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 59 BMW 340I tests, 2.1% 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 47 BMW 340I tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 34 BMW 340I tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 20 BMW 340I tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 16 BMW 340I tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim too low" (Major) — noted on about 15 BMW 340I tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 340I Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 340I model year on record is 2018 (93.8% across 630 tests), and the weakest is 2019 (92.0%). The gap between them is 1.8 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 340I Owners

These checks follow this BMW 340I's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 340I.

• 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 suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated,”

  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.

• 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 340I. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the BMW 340I is most common

Across every 340I model year on record (2016–2019): 1,408 BMW 340I cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 2,807 tests. Guildford (GU) has the most, with 46 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.

The twenty areas with the most BMW 340I 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 →

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 340I MOT & Reliability