2022 BMW 7 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2022 BMW 7 Series passed 95.0% of its 1,184 recorded MOT tests. Against executive cars of a similar age (8.6% fail rate), the 2022 7 Series comes out 3.7pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, road wheels and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (2.8%) and road wheels (0.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, tread depth and malfunction indicator lamp — registration plates alone was recorded 7 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 3.1% in the 0-30k band and 17.4% in the 90-120k band, a 14.3-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 13.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 0.9% of tests failed in 2023 against 6.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.8% | 33 |
| 2 | Road wheels | 0.8% | 9 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 0.4% | 5 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 5 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.3% | 4 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.3% | 4 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plates | 7 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 5 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 4 |
| 4 | Wipers | 3 |
| 5 | Side repeaters | 3 |
| 6 | Ball joint dust cover | 2 |
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 | 13.0% | 154 |
| 2 | Other defects | 2.0% | 24 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.4% | 16 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.2% | 14 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.9% | 11 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.6% | 7 |
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 | 522 | 3.1% |
| 30-60k | 470 | 6.4% |
| 60-90k | 123 | 4.1% |
| 90-120k | 46 | 17.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 640 | 4.5% |
| Diesel | 472 | 5.9% |
| Petrol | 71 | 2.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 114 | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 252 | 3.6% |
| 2025 | 810 | 6.0% |
What to check before buying a 2022 7 Series
On a 2022 7 Series, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 2.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (2.8% 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.
- Road wheels (0.8% of tests): Damaged or corroded wheels, missing/loose fixings — generally a moderate fix. Typical repair: £80–£250.
- Lighting & signalling (0.4% 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 2022 BMW 7 Seriess pass their MOT?
95.0% of the 1,184 2022 BMW 7 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 5.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2022 BMW 7 Series?
Tyres, recorded in 2.8% of tests, followed by road wheels (0.8%).
Does the 2022 7 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 3.1% in the 0-30k band to 17.4% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,184 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.