BMW 728i common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used BMW 728i, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 2,154 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
Pick the year
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).
What usually goes wrong with a BMW 728i?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the BMW 728i 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.
Common BMW 728i MOT failures to check
Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.
Ball joint
up to 2.5× usualStands out on cars registered in 2001.
Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanicAt the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.
BMW 728i MOT pass rate by year
Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
Questions to ask the seller before buying a BMW 728i
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- Any recent work on the ball joint? (Flagged at MOT 2.5× as often on the BMW 728i as on other cars the same age.)
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at a BMW 728i?
Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.
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