BMW Active MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW Active MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW Active passed on its first attempt in 79.5%, and its overall record sits +1.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW Active in the 2023–2025 data: 96 tests across 1 model years (2012–2012). 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 Active MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded BMW Active DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW Active, each with how many of the model's 96 tests it was noted on.

• "Individual direction indicators not working" (Major) — noted on about 4 BMW Active tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 3 BMW Active tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 2 BMW Active tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Individual direction indicators flashing more than 120 times a minute" (Minor) — noted on about 2 BMW Active tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 2 BMW Active tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Side repeaters not working" (Major) — noted on about 2 BMW Active tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW Active Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW Active model year on record is 2012 (82.3% across 96 tests), and the weakest is 2012 (82.3%). 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 Active Owners

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

• the lights — “individual direction indicators not working”

  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 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.

• the shock absorbers — “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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW Active MOT & Reliability