379,931 1 Series cars had an MOT in 2025. 75.9% passed first time, against 70.5% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 5.4 points better than comparable cars.
Each dot compares how often 1 Series cars of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 61.6% | +5.8 | 4,455 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 62.3% | +7.0 | 6,638 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 64.6% | +8.5 | 7,964 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 65.5% | +9.5 | 12,826 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 65.2% | +8.4 | 17,000 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 66.3% | +8.4 | 20,437 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 67.5% | +7.2 | 20,474 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 66.6% | +4.5 | 27,561 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 70.1% | +5.8 | 35,307 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 73.4% | +6.4 | 30,075 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 77.8% | +7.3 | 31,377 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 79.6% | +5.8 | 31,874 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 82.0% | +4.5 | 33,036 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 83.6% | +3.0 | 27,133 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 85.5% | +2.1 | 27,398 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 87.8% | +1.9 | 20,823 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 90.4% | +3.0 | 14,643 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 91.0% | +2.1 | 10,910 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
7.1% of 1 Series MOTs failed on tyres, against 6.7% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 4.0% on visibility, against 4.4%.
1 Series cars pass more often than cars of the same age and mileage at every mileage, by 2.8 to 6.6 points. The gap is widest at 90–120k miles.
Diesels passed 71.9% first time, 5.3 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 80.6%, 5.5 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 96,925 miles at the test, against 57,199 for petrols.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 203,903 | 71.9% | 66.6% | +5.3 | 96,925 |
| Petrol | 176,016 | 80.6% | 75.1% | +5.5 | 57,199 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The 1 Series ranks 7 of 15.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. VW Golf | 453,675 | 84.7% | 77.2% | +7.5 | |
| 2. Audi A3 | 236,485 | 83.4% | 76.3% | +7.1 | |
| 3. Skoda Octavia | 130,349 | 81.5% | 75.7% | +5.8 | |
| 4. Toyota Corolla | 55,580 | 89.2% | 84.2% | +5.1 | |
| 5. Toyota Auris | 78,822 | 78.5% | 73.7% | +4.8 | |
| 6. Honda Civic | 96,393 | 82.2% | 77.5% | +4.8 | |
| 7. BMW 1 Series | 216,359 | 81.6% | 77.1% | +4.5 | |
| 8. Seat Leon | 133,332 | 79.6% | 77.2% | +2.3 | |
| 9. Mercedes A-Class | 285,897 | 80.7% | 79.2% | +1.6 | |
| 10. Ford Focus | 433,954 | 77.1% | 76.9% | +0.2 | |
| 11. Kia Ceed | 68,633 | 75.8% | 76.8% | −1.0 | |
| 12. Vauxhall Astra | 259,770 | 73.6% | 75.2% | −1.6 | |
| 13. Hyundai i30 | 54,108 | 73.1% | 75.3% | −2.2 | |
| 14. Nissan Leaf | 42,108 | 78.9% | 81.7% | −2.7 | |
| 15. Peugeot 308 | 69,563 | 71.2% | 75.2% | −4.0 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on 1 Series cars in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 75.9% of 379,931 1 Series MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 70.5% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005 to 2022: ahead (+1.9 to +9.5 points).
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm: 2.7% of 1 Series MOTs, against 2.5% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol 1 Series cars passed 80.6% first time and diesels 71.9%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 5.5 points above and diesels 5.3 points above.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the VW Golf passed 84.7% first time, +7.5 points against comparable cars. The 1 Series passed 81.6%, +4.5 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the 1 Series's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a BMW 1 Series: 68 recorded model names, from "118" to trims such as "116".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.