Used car guide · 2007–2010

BMW 635d common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used BMW 635d, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 4,444 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

4,444MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
2008best year at its MOT

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).

2010200920082007

What usually goes wrong with a BMW 635d?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the BMW 635d 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 635d MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Ball joint

    up to 1.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009 and 2010.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

BMW 635d MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2008 BMW 635d did best (75% passed first time, 18 points above all 2008 cars) and the 2009 did worst (75%, 16 points above all 2009 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
201077%60% +171,274
200975%59% +161,177
200875%57% +181,496
200776%57% +19497 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a BMW 635d

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the ball joint? (Flagged at MOT 1.8× as often on the BMW 635d as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a BMW 635d?

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