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1997 BMW 316 I — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
45.5%
Latest Pass Rate
809
Total Tests (All Years)
130,426 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 16

This car: 45.5%
Average: 52.7%

⚠️ 7.2% below average (10212 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 BMW 316 I as it ages.

12 yrs41.9%
13 yrs42.8%
14 yrs38.8%
15 yrs45.1%
16 yrs45.5%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 16 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs41.9%363
13 yrs42.8%166
14 yrs38.8%134
15 yrs45.1%91
16 yrs45.5%55

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 BMW 316 I pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 5 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (16 yrs)45.5%55
2012 (15 yrs)45.1%91
2011 (14 yrs)38.8%134
2010 (13 yrs)42.8%166
2009 (12 yrs)41.9%363

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
41.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 363Avg Mileage 118,613Top Failure Brakes — 43.8%
2010High Fail Rate
42.8%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 166Avg Mileage 119,428Top Failure Brakes — 42.2%
2011High Fail Rate
38.8%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 134Avg Mileage 121,717Top Failure Brakes — 41.8%
2012High Fail Rate
45.1%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 91Avg Mileage 128,746Top Failure Brakes — 36.3%
2013High Fail Rate
45.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 55Avg Mileage 130,426Top Failure Brakes — 107.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 BMW 316 I, with age trends.

Brakes
54.3%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
44.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
30.0%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
25.0%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
23.6%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes43.8% (12 yrs)107.3% (16 yrs)
+63.5%
🔴 ↑
Suspension32.2% (12 yrs)92.7% (16 yrs)
+60.5%
🔴 ↑
Tyres21.2% (12 yrs)41.8% (16 yrs)
+20.6%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions17.9% (12 yrs)23.6% (16 yrs)
+5.7%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW 316 I page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 316 I cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 809 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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