BMW X7 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 7 model years and 7,093 tests, the BMW X7 passes its MOT 87.9% of the time. Against large SUVs of a similar age (9.3% fail rate), the X7 comes out 2.8pp worse. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and other defects.
What the MOT record shows
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 8.8% of all tests — 6.9 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, headlamp aim and tread depth — registration plates alone was recorded 129 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the X7 fails 12.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 9.8% at 90-120k, a spread of only 2.2 points.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 11.4% of the time against 12.3% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 14.7% in 2022 to 11.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every X7 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,431 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 2,227 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 1,491 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 891 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 49 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 8.8% | 627 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 135 |
| 3 | Other defects | 1.1% | 77 |
| 4 | Visibility | 0.9% | 61 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 44 |
| 6 | Brakes | 0.5% | 38 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.4% | 31 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.4% | 27 |
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 | 129 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 109 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 99 |
| 4 | Side repeaters | 46 |
| 5 | Washers | 45 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 42 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 37 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 34 |
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 | 17.5% | 1,240 |
| 2 | Other defects | 6.0% | 429 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.7% | 331 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.3% | 235 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.2% | 159 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 46 |
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 | 2,662 | 12.0% |
| 30-60k | 3,589 | 12.1% |
| 60-90k | 718 | 13.0% |
| 90-120k | 102 | 9.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 5,298 | 12.3% |
| Petrol | 1,512 | 11.4% |
| Hybrid | 283 | 10.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 652 | 14.7% |
| 2023 | 1,416 | 12.6% |
| 2024 | 2,110 | 12.1% |
| 2025 | 2,896 | 11.3% |
What to check before buying a BMW X7
- Tyres (8.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (1.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Other defects (1.1% of tests): Miscellaneous items not in the main categories. Typical repair: varies.
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 X7?
87.9% of the 7,093 BMW X7 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.1% fail rate, across model years 2019–2025.
What does the BMW X7 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 8.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (1.9%).
How much does mileage affect X7 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 9.8% for 90-120k, a 2.2-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel X7 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 11.4% of the time against 12.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,093 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.