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1998 BMW 318 I — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age

28 years
Current Age
51.7%
Latest Pass Rate
742
Total Tests (All Years)
139,705 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 15

This car: 51.7%
Average: 52.4%

⚠️ 0.7% below average (11197 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1998 BMW 318 I as it ages.

11 yrs39.0%
12 yrs43.2%
13 yrs38.6%
14 yrs45.0%
15 yrs51.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 11 to 15 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
11 yrs39.0%295
12 yrs43.2%162
13 yrs38.6%127
14 yrs45.0%100
15 yrs51.7%58

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1998 BMW 318 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 (15 yrs)51.7%58
2012 (14 yrs)45%100
2011 (13 yrs)38.6%127
2010 (12 yrs)43.2%162
2009 (11 yrs)39%295

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
39.0%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 295Avg Mileage 122,809Top Failure Brakes — 42.0%
2010High Fail Rate
43.2%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 162Avg Mileage 130,249Top Failure Brakes — 35.8%
2011High Fail Rate
38.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 127Avg Mileage 132,630Top Failure Suspension — 40.2%
2012High Fail Rate
45.0%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 100Avg Mileage 138,749Top Failure Suspension — 40.0%
2013High Fail Rate
51.7%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 58Avg Mileage 139,705Top Failure Brakes — 86.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1998 BMW 318 I, with age trends.

Brakes
47.9%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
45.9%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
33.2%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
26.5%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
18.9%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes42.0% (11 yrs)86.2% (15 yrs)
+44.2%
🔴 ↑
Suspension36.6% (11 yrs)77.6% (15 yrs)
+41.0%
🔴 ↑
Tyres22.4% (11 yrs)44.8% (15 yrs)
+22.4%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment31.9% (11 yrs)41.4% (15 yrs)
+9.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW 318 I page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 318 I cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 742 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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