BMW X1 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW X1 took 100,681 MOT tests in Britain and passed 83% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 100,681
First-time pass rate: 83%
All cars: 71%

What the X1 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres6.3% (all cars 6.4%)
Lights and electrics4.3% (all cars 11.3%)
Suspension3.5% (all cars 9.0%)
Visibility2.9% (all cars 4.8%)
Brakes2.9% (all cars 6.8%)
Exhaust and emissions0.9% (all cars 3.1%)
Body and structure0.8% (all cars 3.5%)
Wheels0.4% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 2.1%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn 2.0%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.9%
Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.4%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.3%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 1.1%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 0.8%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam 0.7%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 17.5%
Brake pads: wearing thin 7.2%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 7.1%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 4.6%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 3.6%
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt 3.6%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.2%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.9%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2009	453	68%
2010	4,919	70%
2011	6,169	72%
2012	5,552	72%
2013	7,275	76%
2014	7,900	76%
2015	4,662	81%
2016	12,595	86%
2017	13,961	87%
2018	14,831	88%
2019	13,979	90%
2020	8,027	90%
2021	352	93%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	23,026 miles
4 years	29,613 miles
5 years	38,402 miles
6 years	49,732 miles
7 years	57,364 miles
8 years	65,641 miles
9 years	75,051 miles
10 years	80,817 miles
11 years	90,730 miles
12 years	98,776 miles
13 years	105,964 miles
14 years	110,667 miles

Check a particular X1

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.