Is the BMW 1 Series reliable?

On MOT evidence the BMW 1 Series is above average. It passes 77.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 79 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW 1 Series?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 18.6% of failed BMW 1 Series tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a BMW 1 Series?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.2% of all BMW 1 Series tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a BMW 1 Series usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 80,629 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which BMW 1 Series years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, BMW 1 Series cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 89.7%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 64.9%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a BMW 1 Series get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.7% of BMW 1 Series tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 64.9%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most BMW 1 Series models petrol or diesel?

Of the BMW 1 Series cars tested, 52% are diesel, 48% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

BMW 1 Series MOT pass rate & common failures

From 394,957 recorded MOT tests of the BMW 1 Series, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The BMW 1 Series passes 77.6% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average, ranking it 79 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 394,957 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 18.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 80,629 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

77.6%national average72.3%unadjusted76.4%range covered100%rank79 of 262

The 1 Series is 5.3 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 76.4%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW 1 Series tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements18.6%
13,787 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage14.2%
10,557 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.4%
7,708 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged9.4%
6,981 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.5%
6,273 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.7%
5,677 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen6.4%
4,749 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.7%
4,259 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.A tyre seriously damaged5.6%
4,179 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
10.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement5.4%
4,023 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW 1 Series tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements27.2%
107,376 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.5%
45,580 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.4%
44,888 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged8.4%
33,292 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.9%
27,330 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage5.9%
23,104 testsShock absorber defective explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.3%
16,884 tests
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.1%
16,124 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the BMW 1 Series

The 21 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

BMW 1 Series common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a 1 Series, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

1 Series common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

1 Series pass rate by age and registration year

How often the BMW 1 Series passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202290%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201984%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201677%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201368%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier65%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer 1 Series outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The 1 Series fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 80,629
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel51.8%
Petrol48.2%

Trim names grouped into this model (29)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

1 SERIES 116 I AUTO
116D M SPORT
116I AUTO
116I M SPORT
116I M-SPORT AUTO
116I SE
116I SPORT
116I SPORT AUTO
118 D M SPORT
118 M SPORT
118D M SPORT
118I AUTO
118I SPORT
118I SPORT AUTO
118I SPORTS
120 M SPORT MHEV AUTO
120 SPORT MHEV AUTO
120D M SPORT AUTO
120D SPORT AUTO
120I AUTO
120I SPORT AUTO
128TI AUTO
130I M SPORT
M135
M135I
M135I XDRIVE AUTO
M140
M140I
M140I SHADOW EDITION AUTO

Check a specific BMW 1 Series

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other BMW models

BMW 3 Series — 80.0% adjusted
BMW 5 Series — 82.0% adjusted
BMW 2 Series — 82.9% adjusted
BMW X1 — 79.5% adjusted
BMW 4 Series — 83.2% adjusted
BMW X3 — 79.5% adjusted
All BMW models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Audi A3 — 77.8% adjusted, ranked 77
Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted, ranked 131
Mercedes-Benz C-Class — 77.0% adjusted, ranked 86
Mini Cooper — 75.9% adjusted, ranked 97

Common questions

Is the BMW 1 Series reliable?: On MOT evidence the BMW 1 Series is above average. It passes 77.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 79 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW 1 Series?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 18.6% of failed BMW 1 Series tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a BMW 1 Series?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.2% of all BMW 1 Series tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a BMW 1 Series usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 80,629 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which BMW 1 Series years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, BMW 1 Series cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 89.7%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 64.9%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a BMW 1 Series get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.7% of BMW 1 Series tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 64.9%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most BMW 1 Series models petrol or diesel?: Of the BMW 1 Series cars tested, 52% are diesel, 48% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.