Know Your MOT
20.8%fail rate

BMW 635d common MOT failures and failure rate

What a BMW 635d fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 337 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 20.8% of MOT tests recorded on the BMW 635d in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is tyres, which makes up 1.4% of the BMW 635d's failures, followed by tyres, brakes, visibility/wipers. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Tyres1.4% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Brakes1.4% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Visibility/wipers1.4% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the tyres failure: BMW 635d tyresSearch Amazon for BMW 635d tyresaffiliate searchFind BMW 635d tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: BMW 635d brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for BMW 635d brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind BMW 635d brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: BMW 635d wiper bladesSearch Amazon for BMW 635d wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind BMW 635d wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

BMW 3 Series MOT failures24.9% failure rateBMW 118 Series MOT failures18.5% failure rateBMW X5 MOT failures22.7% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain