Used car guide

2009 BMW 118: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2009 BMW 118s, from 6,637 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

6,637MOT tests in 2025
65%pass first time (all 2009 cars: 58%)
7,500typical miles a year
2.5×the usual rate for shock absorbers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2009 BMW 118s than on all cars registered in 2009.

  • Shock absorbers2.5× usual
    BMW 118
    18.6% All 2009 cars
    7.5%
    Rough price £150–£400

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Flexible brake hoses3.8× usual
    BMW 118
    11.3% All 2009 cars
    3%
    Rough price £50–£200

    At the viewing: Look for cracked or bulging rubber hoses behind the wheels and in the engine bay.

  • Sub-frame1.6× usual
    BMW 118
    12.6% All 2009 cars
    7.7%
    Rough price £300–£1,000

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Brake pads1.6× usual
    BMW 118
    13.5% All 2009 cars
    8.7%
    Rough price £80–£180

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

  • Flexible couplings27× usual
    BMW 118
    2.7% All 2009 cars
    0.1%
    Rough price £150–£1,000

    At the viewing: Check the sills, wheel arches and underneath for rust, and look along the panels for uneven gaps or paint.

Better than most

Coil springs: 5% here, against 12.4% of all 2009 cars. Drive shaft (CV) joints: 0.7% here, against 5.3% of all 2009 cars.

By area

The share of 2009 BMW 118 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    42% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Brakes
    38% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Tyres
    35% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Lights and electrics
    26% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    12% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    9% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

Looking at a BMW 118?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20229,926Tyres 25%
202112,727Tyres 27%
202017,789Tyres 31%
201910,275Tyres 29%
201811,126Tyres 30%
201714,712Tyres 29%
201613,706Tyres 29%
201510,893Tyres 30%
20135,365Tyres 34%
20125,513Tyres 33%
20118,574Tyres 35%
20109,214Suspension 39%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2009 BMW 118s registered in 2009. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score