RegVerdict Model Intelligence
BMW 120 reliability
MOT pass rates & common faults·70,721 DVSA tests·2024
Across 70,721 real DVSA MOT tests in 2024, 67% of BMW 120 cars aged 13 years and older pass their MOT first time, ahead of the 61% average for all cars of that age. It holds up especially well on steering and body & structure.
67%
Strong for its agepass first time (13 years and older)
Strong for its age · beats 61% of peers
+6.5 pts
MOT pass rate by age
4 to 7 years
9,015 tests · fleet 85%
87%
8 to 12 years
25,131 tests · fleet 73%
79%
13 years and older
36,575 tests · fleet 61%
67%
Where the 120 fails
Suspension93
Brakes94
Body & structure98
Steering99
Tyres95
Lights & electrics93
Holds up better on steering, body & structure, lights & electrics.
Share of 13 years and older BMW 120 MOTs with no fault in each area; the marker shows the fleet average. OGL v3.0.
How it tends to age
How the BMW 120 tends to age
The MOT areas flagged most often on BMW 120 models 13 years and older. It is the model’s typical pattern across millions of tests, not a forecast for this specific car.
- Lights & electrics · flagged on ~8% of MOTsGrows with age
- Brakes · flagged on ~7% of MOTsGrows with age
- Suspension · flagged on ~7% of MOTsGrows with age
- Tyres · flagged on ~5% of MOTs
Common questions
Is the BMW 120 reliable?
On 2024 MOT data the BMW 120 holds up well for its age: 67% of examples aged 13 years and older pass first time, against a 61% fleet average. That puts it ahead of 61% of similar-age models.
What is the MOT pass rate for a BMW 120?
First-time MOT pass rates for the BMW 120 in 2024: 4 to 7 years, 87%; 8 to 12 years, 79%; and 13 years and older, 67%. Pass rates fall with age across the whole fleet, so compare each figure with cars of the same age, not with a new car.
What commonly fails on a BMW 120 MOT?
For BMW 120 cars aged 4 to 7 years, the areas that fail an MOT more often than the fleet average are tyres (4.5% of tests vs 3.3% fleet).
Other BMW models
Check a BMW 120’s full history