MOT cost .
BMW 320
MOT 2023
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BMW

320

43,304 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 320s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 11.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

87.5%

Pass-after-fix

2.0%

Fail

10.1%

Avg miles

52,638

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

The picture

320: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 43,304 MOT tests, the 320 returns 87.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Windscreen damage and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 52,638, 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

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    1,163 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  2. 02

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

    867 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  3. 03

    A tyre seriously damaged

    777 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  4. 04

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    624 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  5. 05

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    522 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  6. 06

    A tyre seriously damaged

    490 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  7. 07

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    260 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  8. 08

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

    257 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  9. 09

    Wiper blade defective

    253 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  10. 10

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

    186 occurrences · 0.4% 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

£200–£350

If every one of this 320'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

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

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

Where it falls short

One last point - if your circumstances change, make sure your inform your insurer, too. If your details don't match what an insurer has on record, that could lead to problems with claims and future renewals.

Buying or keeping a 320?

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 320 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.