BMW 745 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 745 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 745 passed on its first attempt in 76.8%, and its overall record sits −0.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 745 in the 2023–2025 data: 764 tests across 3 model years (2002–2004). 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 745 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 745, the Suspension 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 745's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 745 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 745, each with how many of the model's 764 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 30 BMW 745 tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault" (Major) — noted on about 26 BMW 745 tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 24 BMW 745 tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 23 BMW 745 tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 22 BMW 745 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 21 BMW 745 tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 745 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 745 model year on record is 2002 (80.9% across 367 tests), and the weakest is 2004 (78.0%). The gap between them is 2.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW 745 reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.5 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 745 Owners

These checks follow this BMW 745's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 745.

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  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.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush 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.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 745. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 745 MOT & Reliability