Used car guide · 2004–2011

BMW 118 E87: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the BMW 118 E87 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 34,976 MOT tests.

2009best year: 65% pass first time, 7 points above all 2009 cars
2005weakest year: 61% pass first time, 3 points above all 2005 cars
Shock absorbersthe weak spot that shows up in 6 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the BMW 118 E87, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

40%70%100%2005: 61% pass first time (all 2005 cars: 58%) 61% 20052006: 61% pass first time (all 2006 cars: 57%) 61% 20062007: 63% pass first time (all 2007 cars: 57%) 63% 20072008: 63% pass first time (all 2008 cars: 57%) 63% 20082009: 65% pass first time (all 2009 cars: 58%) 65% 20092010: 66% pass first time (all 2010 cars: 59%) 66% 20102011: 67% pass first time (all 2011 cars: 61%) 67% 2011*
This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation
YearPass first timeAll cars that yearStands outMOT tests
200561%58% +3Flexible brake hoses 4.2× usual1,234
200661%57% +4Flexible brake hoses 5.3× usual2,062
200763%57% +6Flexible brake hoses 6× usual2,687
200863%57% +6Flexible brake hoses 6.8× usual4,568
200965%58% +7Shock absorbers 2.5× usual6,637
201066%59% +7Shock absorbers 2.6× usual9,214
2011*67%61% +6Shock absorbers 2.5× usual8,574

Weak spots across the BMW 118 E87

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

  • Shock absorbersup to 2.6× usual

    Stands out in 6 years: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    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 hosesup to 6.8× usual

    Stands out in 5 years: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

    Rough price £50–£200 our estimate

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

  • Sub-frameup to 2.4× usual

    Stands out in 5 years: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

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

  • Flexible couplingsup to 27× usual

    Stands out in 4 years: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007.

    Rough price £150–£1,000 our estimate

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

  • Individual direction indicatorsup to 3× usual

    Stands out in 2 years: 2006, 2005.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Brake padsup to 1.7× usual

    Stands out in 2 years: 2008, 2007.

    Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanic

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

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

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