2010 BMW 7 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2010 BMW 7 Series passed 85.7% of its 4,013 recorded MOT tests. That is 6.4 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 20.7%. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.3%) and tyres (4.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, ball joint and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 163 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.3% in the 0-30k band and 13.0% in the 150k+ band, a 6.8-point spread — more than double.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 17.5% in 2021 to 11.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.3% | 294 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.4% | 176 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 165 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.3% | 94 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 71 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 1.7% | 70 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 163 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 113 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 110 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 98 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 69 |
| 6 | Washers | 65 |
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 | 22.2% | 890 |
| 2 | Suspension | 18.4% | 738 |
| 3 | Brakes | 14.6% | 586 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 12.6% | 505 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.1% | 205 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.2% | 170 |
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 | 32 | 6.3% |
| 30-60k | 244 | 12.3% |
| 60-90k | 723 | 17.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,072 | 13.6% |
| 120-150k | 1,088 | 14.6% |
| 150k+ | 854 | 13.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 3,675 | 14.3% |
| Petrol | 338 | 13.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 967 | 17.5% |
| 2022 | 875 | 12.8% |
| 2023 | 848 | 15.0% |
| 2024 | 719 | 13.2% |
| 2025 | 604 | 11.6% |
What to check before buying a 2010 7 Series
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.3% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (4.4% 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 (4.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2010 BMW 7 Seriess pass their MOT?
85.7% of the 4,013 2010 BMW 7 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2010 BMW 7 Series?
Suspension, recorded in 7.3% of tests, followed by tyres (4.4%).
Does the 2010 7 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.3% in the 0-30k band to 13.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,013 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.