Check a car
MOT statistics · 2023 tests

BMW 420 MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 86.0% of 63,693 MOT tests on the BMW 420 ended in a pass, 9.5 points above the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 84.3% against 82.0%, ranking 49th of 148 models.

Pass rate
86.0%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
63,693
Initial MOTs in 2023
Ages 3 to 10
84.3%
All cars 82.0% · rank 49 of 148
Mileage at 9
83k
Median; middle half 63k to 103k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the BMW 420 MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
22,102 tests
90.2%
21,000 · 15k to 29k
36,107 tests
89.0%
29,000 · 21k to 39k
49,535 tests
88.1%
37,000 · 27k to 49k
510,196 tests
87.3%
47,000 · 35k to 61k
611,745 tests
86.3%
59,000 · 43k to 75k
710,582 tests
84.3%
69,000 · 51k to 87k
89,353 tests
83.1%
75,000 · 57k to 95k
94,009 tests
81.2%
83,000 · 63k to 103k
420 pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the BMW 420. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Tyres
A tyre cords visible or damaged
2.2in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1.9in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1.2in 100 tests
Shock absorbers
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
0.7in 100 tests
Attachment
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
0.4in 100 tests
Tyre pressure warning
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
0.4in 100 tests
Headlights
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
0.4in 100 tests
Headlight aim
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
0.4in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
8.1in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
5.4in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2.8in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
2.1in 100 tests
Windscreen
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)
1.9in 100 tests
Shock absorbers
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
1.7in 100 tests
Suspension bushes
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1.4in 100 tests
Gearbox oil leaks
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
1.3in 100 tests

What to check on a used 420

The parts that come up most often in BMW 420 MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  2. Tyres
    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
  3. Wipers, washers and windscreen
    Run the wipers and washers, and look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
  4. Shock absorbers
    Push down hard on each corner: it should rise once and settle. Oil on the shock absorber body is a sign of a leak.
  5. Suspension and steering joints
    Listen for knocks over bumps and at full lock, and ask whether any suspension or steering joints have been replaced.

Check a specific 420

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the BMW 420?
In 2023, 86.0% of 63,693 initial MOT tests on the BMW 420 ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans. At ages 3 to 10, with the same age mix as all cars, it was 84.3% against 82.0%.
What fails most often on a BMW 420 MOT?
The most common failures were tyres (2.2 in 100 tests), tyre tread (1.9 in 100 tests), brake pads (1.2 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 9-year-old BMW 420?
At 9 years old, the median BMW 420 at its MOT had covered 83,000 miles, and the middle half had between 63,000 and 103,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a BMW 420?
The most common advisories were brake pads (8.1 in 100 tests), brake discs (5.4 in 100 tests), tyre tread (2.8 in 100 tests).

Other BMW models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all BMW models or see every make.

11881.5%11679.5%X185.6%X382.6%X580.5%52079.8%42086.0%21887.0%12077.0%32088.5%Z479.6%53078.3%33087.3%i390.8%M387.2%52574.0%22085.7%X486.9%X684.9%43087.1%43586.6%Z372.0%M487.8%31676.1%64083.6%73083.8%31887.3%53582.9%X287.5%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.