2019 BMW 7 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 7,702 MOT tests, the 2019 BMW 7 Series recorded a 93.1% pass rate. That is 3.3 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 10.2%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and road wheels.
What the MOT record shows
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 4.4% of all tests — 3.4 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, registration plates and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 105 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2019 7 Series fails 6.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 4.2% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.8 points.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 6.5% of the time against 7.0% for hybrid.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 15.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 3.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 6.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.4% | 341 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.1% | 83 |
| 3 | Road wheels | 0.9% | 70 |
| 4 | Visibility | 0.6% | 46 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.5% | 41 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 41 |
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 | 105 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 71 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 58 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 39 |
| 5 | Side repeaters | 32 |
| 6 | Washers | 24 |
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 | 15.2% | 1,167 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.2% | 323 |
| 3 | Other defects | 3.4% | 261 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.5% | 192 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.4% | 109 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 64 |
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 | 2,606 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 3,041 | 7.9% |
| 60-90k | 1,304 | 7.1% |
| 90-120k | 497 | 5.0% |
| 120-150k | 174 | 6.3% |
| 150k+ | 72 | 4.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 5,174 | 6.9% |
| Hybrid | 1,526 | 7.0% |
| Petrol | 1,002 | 6.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 351 | 3.1% |
| 2022 | 1,947 | 8.7% |
| 2023 | 1,844 | 6.0% |
| 2024 | 1,805 | 6.5% |
| 2025 | 1,755 | 6.8% |
What to check before buying a 2019 7 Series
On a 2019 7 Series, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.4% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- 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 (1.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Road wheels (0.9% of tests): Damaged or corroded wheels, missing/loose fixings — generally a moderate fix. Typical repair: £80–£250.
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 2019 BMW 7 Seriess pass their MOT?
93.1% of the 7,702 2019 BMW 7 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 BMW 7 Series?
Tyres, recorded in 4.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (1.1%).
Does the 2019 7 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.0% in the 0-30k band to 4.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,702 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.