MOT cost .
BMW 120
MOT 2023
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BMW

120

54,300 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 120s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models.

Pass

76.1%

Pass-after-fix

4.6%

Fail

18.6%

Avg miles

96,968

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

120: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 54,300 MOT tests, the 120 returns 76.1% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. Tyre tread under the limit and shock absorber damaged to the extent round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 96,968, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    2,144 occurrences · 3.9% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    1,985 occurrences · 3.7% of tests

  3. 03

    A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

    1,867 occurrences · 3.4% of tests

  4. 04

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    1,537 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  5. 05

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    1,098 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  6. 06

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    888 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  7. 07

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    841 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  8. 08

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    766 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  9. 09

    A tyre seriously damaged

    759 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  10. 10

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    749 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£148–£290

If every one of this 120's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a 120?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 120 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.