MOT cost .
BMW F850
MOT 2023
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BMW

F850

825 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where F850s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 18.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

93.8%

Pass-after-fix

2.1%

Fail

3.6%

Avg miles

9,407

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

The picture

F850: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 825 MOT tests, the F850 returns 93.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.0 mm. Tyre tread under the limit and a non-functioning shock absorber round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 9,407, 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

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    5 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    4 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  3. 03

    A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    4 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  4. 04

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    3 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  5. 05

    A transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn

    3 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  6. 06

    Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution

    2 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  7. 07

    A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released

    2 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  8. 08

    A wheel bearing with excessive play

    2 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  9. 09

    A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    2 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A brake lining or pad contaminated with oil, grease etc

    1 occurrences · 0.1% 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

£155–£290

If every one of this F850'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

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

Item 02 · 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 03 · Amazon UK

MOT-spec replacement number plate

Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a F850?

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 F850 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.