BMW 7 Series years to avoid? MOT pass rate by year

7,378 initial MOT tests in 2025 on cars first used 2016–2021 · DVSA data · For guidance only · How we count

All 5 BMW 7 Series years have MOT pass rates above the average for vehicles first used in the same year.

Below the average for their first-use yearNone
Above the average for their first-use year2016–2019 and 2021
Can't be told apart from averageNone

The MOT pass rate is one signal, not the whole story. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't record gearbox or engine faults, and a pass rate also reflects mileage and upkeep, so the table shows median mileage too. Whatever the year, the car in front of you matters more than its model's average.

90.0%passed first time

First-time pass rate, all years together: initial tests passed with no repairs. 95% range 89.3% to 90.7%.

BMW 7 Series, all years90.0%
Same-age average, all vehicles80.6%

In 2025, 90.0% of the 7,378 initial MOT tests on BMW 7 Series cars were passed with no repairs. The same-age average, for all vehicles first used in the same years, was 80.6%. That is 9.4 points above the same-age average.

Check a specific 7 Series

Its own MOT history, free.

BMW 7 Series MOT pass rate by year

Year is when the car was first used. Older vehicles fail more often, so each year is compared with all vehicles first used that year.

Year	Testsmedian miles	Passed first time	Against all vehicles that year
2021age 4	1,05543,400	91.4%±1.9	+4.2 ptsall: 87.2%
2019age 6	1,65558,500	91.3%±1.5	+7.8 ptsall: 83.5%
2018age 7	1,55468,100	90.0%±1.6	+9.1 ptsall: 80.9%
2017age 8	1,63874,500	88.4%±1.7	+10.2 ptsall: 78.2%
2016age 9	1,47681,500	89.4%±1.7	+14.5 ptsall: 74.9%

Tests are initial MOT tests in 2025, not retests. Median miles is the middle odometer reading at the test: half had more, half had less. ± is the 95% margin of error in points (Wilson interval): a difference smaller than that could be chance. Years without a link have fewer than 10,000 tests, so they are listed here but don't have their own page.

When a car's mileage doesn't add up

Does mileage matter?

BMW 7 Series first-time pass rates by the mileage at the initial test, all years together, against all vehicles of the same age and mileage.

90.5% of BMW 7 Series tests at 30,000 to 59,999 miles passed first time, against 91.2% at 90,000 to 119,999 miles. For all vehicles of the same age and mileage, the figures are 82.5% and 72.9%.

Miles at the test	Tests	Passed first time	Against all vehicles, same age and mileage
30,000–59,999	2,429	90.5%±1.3	+8.0 ptsall: 82.5%
60,000–89,999	2,269	88.8%±1.4	+12.2 ptsall: 76.7%
90,000–119,999	1,174	91.2%±1.8	+18.3 ptsall: 72.9%

Against all vehicles of the same age and mileage, 7 Series tests were above average in every band shown.

Mileage is only one factor. How a car has been driven and looked after matters too. These figures show an association across all BMW 7 Series tests in 2025, not what mileage does to a particular car.

Mileage is the odometer reading at the initial test. Each band is compared with all vehicles first used in the same year with a reading in the same band, weighted by this model's own tests in each year. Bands need at least 1,000 tests. Not shown, with fewer than 1,000 tests: under 30,000 and 120,000 or more. 56 tests (0.8%) had no usable odometer reading and are left out. How we count

Most common MOT failures on the BMW 7 Series

The defects recorded most often at the 736 failed initial tests on BMW 7 Series cars, all years together, in the DVSA's own words. Each share is of failed tests, and a failed test can have more than one defect.

Defect	Share of failed tests	All vehicles, same age
Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cordsTyres	12.2%90 tests	7.8%
Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirtBody, chassis, structure	11.7%86 tests	3.0%
Tyre has ply or cords exposedTyres	11.1%82 tests	5.4%
Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunctionNoise, emissions, leaks	11.0%81 tests	5.6%
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mmTyres	9.6%71 tests	9.7%
Road wheel fracturedWheels	7.7%57 tests	0.3%

These are failures recorded at initial MOT tests in 2025. Retests are not counted. "All vehicles, same age" is the same defect's share of failed tests for all vehicles first used in the same years, weighted by the 7 Series's failed tests in each year. How we count

After an MOT advisory

BMW 7 Series cars that passed their 2024 MOT first time with an advisory, and what their next MOT found, against similar cars that passed with nothing noted in that area. All first-use years together.

Tyres

Of BMW 7 Series cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a tyre advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 8.1% failed on tyres, against 4.2% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 1,359 and 6,871 cars.

With a tyre advisory8.1%
Similar cars, nothing noted4.2%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 24.6% of those with a tyre advisory and 23.9% of the others.

Similar cars are the same model, first-use year and mileage band. Areas are the DVSA's top-level groups, so the later fail may not be the fault that was advised. These figures describe what happened to these cars. They don't show what a repair would have changed.

How we worked this out All models compared, with the data

BMW 7 Series questions

Which BMW 7 Series years have lower MOT pass rates?

Compared with all vehicles first used in the same year, no model year is clearly below average. Above average: 2016–2019 and 2021. A pass rate is one signal: it also reflects mileage and upkeep, and doesn't record engine or gearbox faults.

Is the BMW 7 Series reliable?

MOT results show only part of the picture. In 2025, 90.0% of initial MOT tests on BMW 7 Series cars were passed with no repairs, against a same-age average of 80.6%. That is 9.4 points above average. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't measure breakdowns, engine or gearbox faults, or repair costs.

What mileage is normal for a 7-year-old BMW 7 Series?

At their 2025 MOT tests, BMW 7 Series cars first used in 2018, about 7 years old, had a median of 68,100 miles. Half had more and half had less.

How do I check a specific 7 Series's MOT history?

Enter its registration in our free check. It lists that car's own MOT results, the faults and advisories recorded and the mileage at each test, and flags repeated advisories and mileage that goes down.

Check a car's MOT history for free

What MOT data can't tell you about any BMW 7 Series

Outstanding finance, write-offs, theft and plate changes aren't in MOT records. For a particular car, you need a history check.

Compare history checks What MOT history doesn't show

Other BMW models

Points above (+) or below (−) the same-age average for all vehicles.

All 22 BMW models Cars ranked by MOT pass rate, by age

Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests, 2025. For guidance only: these figures describe all BMW 7 Series cars tested, not the one you're looking at. How we count