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Bmw 118 vs Bmw 235i: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Bmw 118
81%
MOT pass rate · 195,122 vehicles
Bmw 235i
77%
MOT pass rate · 3 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Bmw 118 (81%) and Bmw 235i (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Bmw 118 Bmw 235i
MOT pass rate 81% 77%
MOT failure rate 19% 23%
Faults & advisories per test 1.5 2.3
Dangerous-fault share 4% 7%
Average mileage 85,676 mi 48,242 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 195,122 3

Most common faults

Bmw 118

  1. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  2. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  3. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  5. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Bmw 235i

  1. Nearside Front Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))
  2. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  3. Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
  4. Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))
  5. Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))
  6. Nearside Front Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Bmw 118 (81%) and Bmw 235i (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Bmw 118 report Full Bmw 235i report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.