Know Your MOT

BMW 118 Series vs BMW 316 Series: MOT reliability compared

Updated 05 September 2026.

18.5%
BMW 118 Series MOT failure rate, 12.3 pts lower than BMW 316 Series

BMW 118 Series is the more reliable MOT performer: 18.5% of BMW 118 Series MOTs fail versus 30.8% for BMW 316 Series, a 12.3 point gap.

MetricBMW 118 SeriesBMW 316 Series
MOT failure rate18.5%30.8%
Tests analysed1,955,0321,213,435
Most common failureTyres (32.0%)Suspension (41.2%)

Questions and answers

Which is more reliable, BMW 118 Series or BMW 316 Series?

BMW 118 Series is the more reliable MOT performer: 18.5% of BMW 118 Series MOTs fail versus 30.8% for BMW 316 Series, a 12.3 point gap.

What is the MOT failure rate of the BMW 118 Series?

18.5% of BMW 118 Series MOT tests result in a failure, from 1,955,032 tests.

What is the MOT failure rate of the BMW 316 Series?

30.8% of BMW 316 Series MOT tests result in a failure, from 1,213,435 tests.

Compared here

BMW 118 Series common MOT failures and failure rateBMW 316 Series common MOT failures and failure rate