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1997 BMW 328i — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
61.1%
Latest Pass Rate
900
Total Tests (All Years)
130,498 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 20

This car: 61.1%
Average: 56.6%

✅ 4.5% above average (6824 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 BMW 328i as it ages.

12 yrs57.8%
13 yrs53.0%
14 yrs52.5%
15 yrs54.7%
16 yrs46.9%
17 yrs54.2%
18 yrs65.1%
19 yrs61.4%
20 yrs61.1%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 20 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs57.8%187
13 yrs53.0%134
14 yrs52.5%118
15 yrs54.7%117
16 yrs46.9%98
17 yrs54.2%72
18 yrs65.1%63
19 yrs61.4%57
20 yrs61.1%54

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 BMW 328i pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (20 yrs)61.1%54
2016 (19 yrs)61.4%57
2015 (18 yrs)65.1%63
2014 (17 yrs)54.2%72
2013 (16 yrs)46.9%98
2012 (15 yrs)54.7%117
2011 (14 yrs)52.5%118
2010 (13 yrs)53%134
2009 (12 yrs)57.8%187

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
57.8%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 187Avg Mileage 114,325Top Failure Brakes — 26.2%
2010High Fail Rate
53.0%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 134Avg Mileage 117,240Top Failure Brakes — 31.3%
2011High Fail Rate
52.5%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 118Avg Mileage 120,501Top Failure Brakes — 33.1%
2012High Fail Rate
54.7%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 117Avg Mileage 121,817Top Failure Brakes — 31.6%
2013High Fail Rate
46.9%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 98Avg Mileage 126,431Top Failure Brakes — 121.4%
2014High Fail Rate
54.2%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 72Avg Mileage 128,032Top Failure Brakes — 80.6%
2015
65.1%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 63Avg Mileage 128,594Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 52.4%
2016High Fail Rate
61.4%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 57Avg Mileage 129,519Top Failure Brakes — 52.6%
2017High Fail Rate
61.1%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 54Avg Mileage 130,498Top Failure Brakes — 101.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 BMW 328i, with age trends.

Brakes
56.0%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
39.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
28.5%
— Consistent
Tyres
23.7%
— Consistent
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
14.1%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes26.2% (12 yrs)101.9% (20 yrs)
+75.7%
🔴 ↑
Suspension24.6% (12 yrs)46.3% (20 yrs)
+21.7%
🔴 ↑
Tyres19.8% (12 yrs)18.5% (20 yrs)
-1.3%
⚪ —
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment24.6% (12 yrs)24.1% (20 yrs)
-0.5%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW 328i page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 328i cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 900 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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