Reliability Report · Multi-Source Data

BMW 118 Reliability

The BMW 118 (current generation) scores 79/100 on our composite reliability index — good territory — drawn from DVSA data.

Composite Score
79
/ 100
Good
Sources: DVSA · latest 2024
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Reliability by Source

Each independent organization measures reliability differently. TÜV reports inspection defect rates by age band. ADAC reports pan-European breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. NHTSA aggregates US consumer complaints. DVSA MOT data is the UK fleet's annual safety inspection — every car 3+ years old. Lower variance across sources = higher confidence in the composite.

DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2004–2021 · 2024 report · n=243142
243,142 UK MOT tests · overall 16.3% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
81
/ 100
DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2003–2020 · 2023 report · n=134850
134,850 UK MOT tests · overall 19.1% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
76
/ 100

UK MOT Reliability Detail

Based on 243,142 MOT tests in the UK during the 2024reporting period. Score for each age band reflects this model's fail rate vs the UK-fleet baseline fail rate at the same age — a generation-aware metric.

Age 35 yrs
81
7.9% fail vs 10.9% fleet
77,054 tests
Age 69 yrs
82
13.3% fail vs 19.2% fleet
79,179 tests
Age 1014 yrs
80
24.2% fail vs 32.1% fleet
55,321 tests
Age 1520 yrs
79
30.1% fail vs 38.8% fleet
31,588 tests

Most Common MOT Failure Categories

#1
Condition
19,020
32.4%
#2
Windscreen
11,270
19.2%
#3
Tread depth
11,245
19.2%
#4
Shock absorbers
9,059
15.5%
#5
Brake pads
8,024
13.7%

Categories ranked across all MOT tests of this model in the UK during the 2024period. "Condition" covers cosmetic / wear issues; suspension and braking dominate the rest.

Compare Against Alternatives

See how the BMW 118 stacks up against direct rivals — same segment, similar price band, side-by-side risk + reliability.

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