BMW 418 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 418 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 418 passed on its first attempt in 83.3%, and its overall record sits +4.6 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 418 in the 2023–2025 data: 3,415 tests across 4 model years (2014–2017). 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 418 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 418, 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 418's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 418 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 418, each with how many of the model's 3,415 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 85 BMW 418 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 54 BMW 418 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (Major) — noted on about 52 BMW 418 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 40 BMW 418 tests, 1.2% 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 36 BMW 418 tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp not working on dipped beam" (Major) — noted on about 36 BMW 418 tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 418 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 418 model year on record is 2017 (88.4% across 352 tests), and the weakest is 2014 (83.5%). The gap between them is 4.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW 418 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.7 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 418 Owners

These checks follow this BMW 418's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 418.

• 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 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.

• the wipers and washers — “washers provides insufficient washer liquid”

  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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 418. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the BMW 418 is most common

Across every 418 model year on record (2014–2017): 1,593 BMW 418 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 3,415 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 83 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 418 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 418 MOT & Reliability