BMW X1 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW X1 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW X1 passed on its first attempt in 85.5%, and its overall record sits +6.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW X1 in the 2023–2025 data: 339,575 tests across 15 model years (2009–2023). 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 X1 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW X1, 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 X1's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW X1 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW X1, each with how many of the model's 339,575 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 9,043 BMW X1 tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 6,131 BMW X1 tests, 1.8% 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 5,941 BMW X1 tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 3,421 BMW X1 tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (Major) — noted on about 2,703 BMW X1 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 2,120 BMW X1 tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW X1 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW X1 model year on record is 2022 (93.4% across 4,958 tests), and the weakest is 2009 (78.0%). The gap between them is 15.4 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 X1 Owners

These checks follow this BMW X1's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW X1.

• 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 — “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 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 X1. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the BMW X1 is most common

Across every X1 model year on record (2009–2023): 162,885 BMW X1 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 339,537 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 4,840 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 X1 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 X1 MOT & Reliability