BMW 7 Series common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used BMW 7 Series, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 10,232 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
The 1999 BMW 7 Series
Too few BMW 7 Series cars first registered in 1999 had an MOT during 2025 for reliable MOT figures. There are no known faults on record for this year in the UK buying guides we use, so the rest of this page covers the BMW 7 Series as a whole.
What to check on a 1999 car
- MOT history
Check the reg below: its MOT history shows what has been failed or advised, and whether the mileage adds up.
- Service history
Look for regular servicing and receipts for big jobs like a cambelt or clutch.
- Finance and write-offs
MOT records don’t show outstanding finance or insurance write-offs. A history check does.
- Test drive
Listen for knocks over bumps, check every warning light goes out, and make sure the gears and brakes feel right.
Other years
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
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What usually goes wrong with a BMW 7 Series?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the BMW 7 Series in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.
BMW 7 Series MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2012 BMW 7 Series did best (81% passed first time, 17 points above all 2012 cars) and the 2021 did worst (92%, 5 points above all 2021 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
| Year | Pass first time | All cars that year | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 95% | 89% +6 | 654 |
| 2021 | 92% | 87% +5 | 1,219 |
| 2020 | 92% | 87% +5 | 1,034 |
| 2019 | 92% | 85% +7 | 1,416 |
| 2018 | 91% | 83% +8 | 1,237 |
| 2017 | 89% | 80% +9 | 1,368 |
| 2016 | 90% | 77% +13 | 399 (small sample) |
| 2014 | 83% | 70% +13 | 206 (small sample) |
| 2013 | 82% | 67% +15 | 799 |
| 2012 | 81% | 64% +17 | 824 |
| 2011 | 80% | 62% +18 | 276 (small sample) |
| 2010 | 83% | 60% +23 | 185 (small sample) |
| 2009 | 81% | 59% +22 | 106 (small sample) |
| 2008 | 73% | 57% +16 | 159 (small sample) |
| 2007 | 79% | 57% +22 | 144 (small sample) |
| 2006 | 74% | 56% +18 | 206 (small sample) |
Looking at a BMW 7 Series?
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Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score