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BMW vs Ford Reliability

BMW leads on our inspections: 67/100 average condition vs 58/100 for Ford, from 907 real pre-purchase inspections. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
BMWFord
Cars inspected341566
Average condition67/10058/100
In good shape (60+/100)66%51%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~101k mi~127k mi
Repainted or replaced panel71%70%
Structural repair found2%4%
Fault codes recently cleared27%24%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
BMW
Excellent 33% Good 33% Mediocre 19% Poor 15%
Ford
Excellent 23% Good 28% Mediocre 24% Poor 25%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ BMW▬ Ford▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 BMW, 0–20k mi: 97% in good shape (33 cars)BMW, 20–40k mi: 98% in good shape (62 cars)BMW, 40–60k mi: 86% in good shape (57 cars)BMW, 60–80k mi: 59% in good shape (56 cars)BMW, 80–100k mi: 49% in good shape (55 cars)BMW, 100–120k mi: 43% in good shape (35 cars)BMW, 120–140k mi: 19% in good shape (21 cars)BMW, 140–160k mi: 11%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band) Ford, 0–20k mi: 88% in good shape (25 cars)Ford, 20–40k mi: 87% in good shape (45 cars)Ford, 40–60k mi: 83% in good shape (65 cars)Ford, 60–80k mi: 66% in good shape (59 cars)Ford, 80–100k mi: 59% in good shape (69 cars)Ford, 100–120k mi: 41% in good shape (80 cars)Ford, 120–140k mi: 46% in good shape (57 cars)Ford, 140–160k mi: 21% in good shape (48 cars)Ford, 160–180k mi: 38% in good shape (34 cars)Ford, 180–200k mi: 22% in good shape (27 cars)Ford, 200–220k mi: 13% in good shape (23 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ BMW▬ Ford▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 BMW, 1 years old: 98%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)BMW, 2 years old: 96% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 3 years old: 98%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)BMW, 4 years old: 100% in good shape (30 cars)BMW, 5 years old: 94% in good shape (32 cars)BMW, 6 years old: 77% in good shape (35 cars)BMW, 7 years old: 58% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 8 years old: 53% in good shape (30 cars)BMW, 9 years old: 49%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)BMW, 10 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)BMW, 11 years old: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)BMW, 12 years old: 34%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)BMW, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)BMW, 14 years old: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)BMW, 15 years old: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age) Ford, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)Ford, 2 years old: 96% in good shape (23 cars)Ford, 3 years old: 93% in good shape (30 cars)Ford, 4 years old: 78% in good shape (45 cars)Ford, 5 years old: 71% in good shape (38 cars)Ford, 6 years old: 62% in good shape (45 cars)Ford, 7 years old: 63% in good shape (46 cars)Ford, 8 years old: 37% in good shape (49 cars)Ford, 9 years old: 37% in good shape (46 cars)Ford, 10 years old: 58% in good shape (33 cars)Ford, 11 years old: 54% in good shape (24 cars)Ford, 12 years old: 40% in good shape (30 cars)Ford, 13 years old: 31% in good shape (16 cars)Ford, 14 years old: 33%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Ford, 15 years old: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Ford, 16 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
BMW
Oil leaks · Engine
54%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
37%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
34%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
26%
Electronic components issues · Engine
16%
Ford
Oil leaks · Engine
57%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
38%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
30%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
30%
Oil leaks · Drivetrain
20%
Trajectory by generation
BMW ▲ Newer BMWs are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 52% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 53%) 52 2015–17: 67% in good shape (age-adjusted; 48 cars, raw 65%) 67 2018–20: 75% in good shape (age-adjusted; 52 cars, raw 81%) 75 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Ford ▲ Newer Fords are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 41% in good shape (age-adjusted; 37 cars, raw 38%) 41 2015–17: 53% in good shape (age-adjusted; 99 cars, raw 49%) 53 2018–20: 59% in good shape (age-adjusted; 94 cars, raw 64%) 59 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, BMW or Ford?
BMW leads on our inspections: 67/100 average condition vs 58/100 for Ford, from 907 real pre-purchase inspections.
?
What are the most common problems with used BMWs and Fords?
On BMWs we flag oil leaks (54%), active error codes (37%), tires condition & wear (34%). On Fords: oil leaks (57%), tires condition & wear (38%), fuel trim out of range (30%).
?
How many BMW and Ford vehicles have you inspected?
341 BMWs and 566 Fords — 907 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do BMWs and Fords stay in good shape?
In our data, the average BMW dips below “decent” around ~101k mi; Ford around ~127k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used BMW or Ford? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 907 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026