BMW M135 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW M135 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW M135 passed on its first attempt in 87.2%, and its overall record sits +7.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW M135 in the 2023–2025 data: 258 tests across 3 model years (2013–2016). 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 M135 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW M135, the Noise, emissions and leaks 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 M135's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW M135 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW M135, each with how many of the model's 258 tests it was noted on.

• "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits" (Major) — noted on about 4 BMW M135 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 4 BMW M135 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 4 BMW M135 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Fixing missing" (Rectified) — noted on about 4 BMW M135 tests, 1.6% 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 4 BMW M135 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 4 BMW M135 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW M135 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW M135 model year on record is 2015 (90.0% across 70 tests), and the weakest is 2016 (87.0%). The gap between them is 3.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW M135 reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 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 M135 Owners

These checks follow this BMW M135's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW M135.

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

• 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 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW M135. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW M135 MOT & Reliability