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1985 BMW M535 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years
Current Age
58.1%
Latest Pass Rate
302
Total Tests (All Years)
114,759 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1985 BMW M535 as it ages.

24 yrs44.3%
25 yrs50.9%
26 yrs63.6%
27 yrs57.6%
28 yrs52.6%
29 yrs69.0%
31 yrs58.1%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 24 to 31 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
24 yrs44.3%61
25 yrs50.9%53
26 yrs63.6%44
27 yrs57.6%33
28 yrs52.6%38
29 yrs69.0%42
31 yrs58.1%31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 BMW M535 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 7 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (31 yrs)58.1%31
2014 (29 yrs)69%42
2013 (28 yrs)52.6%38
2012 (27 yrs)57.6%33
2011 (26 yrs)63.6%44
2010 (25 yrs)50.9%53
2009 (24 yrs)44.3%61

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
44.3%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 61Avg Mileage 134,002Top Failure Suspension — 41.0%
2010High Fail Rate
50.9%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 53Avg Mileage 124,952Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 28.3%
2011High Fail Rate
63.6%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 44Avg Mileage 126,632Top Failure Brakes — 29.5%
2012High Fail Rate
57.6%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 33Avg Mileage 117,853Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.3%
2013High Fail Rate
52.6%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 38Avg Mileage 127,646Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 84.2%
2014
69.0%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 42Avg Mileage 121,621Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 64.3%
2016High Fail Rate
58.1%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 31Avg Mileage 114,759Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 58.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 BMW M535, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
46.3%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
41.5%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
28.0%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
25.8%
— Consistent
Tyres
23.7%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment31.1% (24 yrs)58.1% (31 yrs)
+27.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension41.0% (24 yrs)54.8% (31 yrs)
+13.8%
🔴 ↑
Brakes31.1% (24 yrs)41.9% (31 yrs)
+10.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW M535 page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW M535 cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 302 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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