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BMW X1 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 55,045 MOT tests · Updated

At 6 years, 0.9 in 100 MOT tests of the BMW X1 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 1.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 55,045 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.7×) (all test years), 471 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 13 ages from 3 to 15 years, 414,040 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, 0.5 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.9 fails per 100 MOT tests at 6 years, against 1.3 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 (all test years). The BMW X1 fails less often here.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

BMW X1 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

BMW X1 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the BMW X1. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 37,830 MOT tests34 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 44,752 MOT tests5 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 50,455 MOT tests56 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 55,045 MOT tests7 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 46,090 MOT tests78 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 39,110 MOT tests9 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 32,473 MOT tests910 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 25,337 MOT tests11 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 26,920 MOT tests1112 years: 1.6 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 23,773 MOT tests13 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 16,525 MOT tests1314 years: 1.9 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 10,872 MOT tests15 years: 2.7 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 4,858 MOT tests15
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. BMW X1 All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
337,8300.20.5
444,7520.60.7
550,4550.81.0
655,0450.91.3
746,0900.91.7
839,1100.72.1
932,4730.92.4
1025,3370.92.8
1126,9201.33.2
1223,7731.63.7
1316,5251.84.3
1410,8722.05.1
154,8582.75.7

All first-use years of the BMW X1 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 6 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Diagnose engine warning light cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 diesel: 1.1 per 100 at 6 years, fails less often than diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (0.5–0.6×) (all test years; 33,781 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 6 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 14,489 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one BMW X1, not the average

The figures here describe BMW X1 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

  • Check a BMW X1's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
  • MOT advisory checker Paste an advisory or defect to read DVSA's wording, its grade and what tends to happen at the next MOT.

Other BMW X1 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the BMW X1 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.6 to 0.7 times the exhaust, emissions and leaks fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 6 years (all test years), from 55,045 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 10 of the 13 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are BMW X1 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

0.9 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 1.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 55,045 MOT tests).

What is the most common BMW X1 exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (260 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 414,040 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare