BMW X1 MOT pass rate & common failures
The BMW X1 appears in 558,903 MOT tests spanning model years 2001–2024, and 87.7% of them passed. That is 2.4 percentage points better than small SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 14.7%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst X1 years
Ranked across X1 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (93.3% pass rate); the weakest is 2009 (79.0%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (5.5%) and lighting & signalling (3.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, headlamp aim and tread depth — pins and bushes alone was recorded 15,817 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.3% once past 150k — 3.5× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 6.1pp more often than petrol ones (14.0% vs 7.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.0% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every X1 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 2,735 | 79.0% | 20.9% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 29,807 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 37,033 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 33,357 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 43,345 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 46,865 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 26,758 | 86.6% | 13.5% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 69,350 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 76,386 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 81,514 | 91.3% | 8.6% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 60,337 | 92.3% | 7.7% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 25,657 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 17,018 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 8,424 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 309 | 93.5% | 6.5% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.5% | 30,729 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 21,328 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.2% | 17,888 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.5% | 14,050 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.4% | 13,541 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 4,241 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.7% | 3,974 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 1,756 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 15,817 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 13,309 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 13,152 |
| 4 | Washers | 9,378 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 8,481 |
| 6 | Wipers | 5,407 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 4,856 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 3,982 |
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 | 24.0% | 133,958 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.3% | 74,316 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.1% | 45,033 |
| 4 | Suspension | 8.0% | 44,765 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 19,577 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.3% | 7,135 |
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 | 123,334 | 6.3% |
| 30-60k | 193,383 | 9.9% |
| 60-90k | 133,100 | 15.0% |
| 90-120k | 71,833 | 19.4% |
| 120-150k | 27,430 | 21.3% |
| 150k+ | 9,783 | 22.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 406,566 | 14.0% |
| Petrol | 142,477 | 7.9% |
| Hybrid | 9,858 | 8.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91,353 | 11.6% |
| 2022 | 105,431 | 11.7% |
| 2023 | 113,992 | 12.4% |
| 2024 | 120,799 | 12.7% |
| 2025 | 127,328 | 12.9% |
What to check before buying a BMW X1
- Tyres (5.5% 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 (3.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (3.2% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW X1?
87.7% of the 558,903 BMW X1 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.3% fail rate, across model years 2001–2024.
What does the BMW X1 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.8%).
Which X1 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.3% and 2009 the weakest at 79.0%, from 8,424 and 2,735 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect X1 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.3% for 150k+, a 16.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel X1 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 7.9% of the time against 14.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 558,903 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.