2016 BMW 1 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 183,208 MOT tests, the 2016 BMW 1 Series recorded an 87.6% pass rate. That is 1.3 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 13.7%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.0%) and lighting & signalling (5.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 6,556 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 16.5% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.0% fail against 13.2% for diesel, a 2.2-point gap across 183,203 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.0% | 10,968 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 9,214 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.8% | 5,036 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.5% | 4,562 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.3% | 2,435 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 2,000 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 6,556 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 5,584 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 4,176 |
| 4 | Washers | 3,557 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,834 |
| 6 | Shock absorbers | 1,685 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.4% | 42,922 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.7% | 30,572 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.9% | 10,734 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.9% | 8,975 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 6,159 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.4% | 6,143 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 16,989 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 79,154 | 10.9% |
| 60-90k | 60,180 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 20,663 | 16.4% |
| 120-150k | 4,855 | 18.9% |
| 150k+ | 1,354 | 16.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 115,903 | 13.2% |
| Petrol | 67,300 | 11.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36,546 | 10.4% |
| 2022 | 36,595 | 11.3% |
| 2023 | 36,761 | 12.5% |
| 2024 | 36,761 | 13.6% |
| 2025 | 36,545 | 14.1% |
What to check before buying a 2016 1 Series
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 6.0% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (6.0% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (5.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.8% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2016 BMW 1 Seriess pass their MOT?
87.6% of the 183,208 2016 BMW 1 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 BMW 1 Series?
Tyres, recorded in 6.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.0%).
Does the 2016 1 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.5% in the 0-30k band to 16.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 183,208 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.