MOT performance
BMW 3 Series hybrid: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 70,562 MOT tests on hybrid BMW 3 Seriess in 2023–2024 (on average 3.7 years old at test, median 47,477 miles), 85.0% passed first time, against 74.3% of 584,359 diesel BMW 3 Series tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, hybrid BMW 3 Seriess failed 9% more often than comparable cars — 1.09× against 0.77× for the BMW 3 Series as a whole.
70,562 MOT tests on 42,363 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
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| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 85.0% | ±0.3 pts (95%), n = 70,562 |
| All BMW 3 Seriess | 74.9% | n = 1,007,360 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.09× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; BMW 3 Series overall 0.77× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 7.2% | n = 70,562 |
| Average age at test | 3.7 years | n = 70,562 |
| Registration years covered | 2012–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Hybrid against the other BMW 3 Series fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The hybrid cars were tested 6.7 years younger on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 584,359 | 10.4 yrs | 74.3% | -23% | 9.2% |
| Petrol | 352,408 | 13.7 yrs | 73.8% | -26% | 7.8% |
| Hybrid | 70,562 | 3.7 yrs | 85.0% | +9% | 7.2% |
Where hybrid BMW 3 Seriess differ
- Steering: hybrid BMW 3 Seriess failed 529% more often than the BMW 3 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (1.63× vs 0.26×).
- Noise, emissions and leaks: hybrid BMW 3 Seriess failed 204% more often than the BMW 3 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (2.04× vs 0.67×).
- Seat belts and airbags: hybrid BMW 3 Seriess failed 119% more often than the BMW 3 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (1.73× vs 0.79×).
- Suspension: hybrid BMW 3 Seriess failed 74% more often than the BMW 3 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (1.02× vs 0.58×).
| Area | Hybrid (vs similar) | All BMW 3 Seriess (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 9.3% (+55%) | 7.6% (+8%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 2.3% (-32%) | 9.0% (-34%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 1.6% (-48%) | 3.6% (-32%) |
| Suspension | 1.1% (+2%) | 6.6% (-41%) |
| Brakes | 0.8% (-46%) | 6.3% (-25%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.6% (+104%) | 2.7% (-33%) |
| Road wheels | 0.6% (+137%) | 1.1% (+127%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.4% (+73%) | 1.1% (-21%) |
| Steering | 0.3% (+63%) | 0.6% (-74%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.3% (+14%) | 0.5% (+4%) |
Most common hybrid BMW 3 Series failure items
2 of these 5 items are not among the BMW 3 Series's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 2.89% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 2.26% |
| Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 2.18% |
| Condition: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 1.95% |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 0.94% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | hybrid pass rate (tests) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 86.4% (26,907) | 86.7% (32,527) | 88.2% (35,044) |
| 5-6 | 86.1% (14,824) | 86.1% (68,327) | 86.9% (25,610) |
| 7-8 | 83.0% (5,790) | 82.1% (101,211) | 84.2% (19,773) |
| 9-10 | — | 74.9% (111,824) | 79.6% (21,587) |
| 11-12 | — | 68.8% (97,713) | 73.4% (26,494) |
| 13-15 | — | 65.9% (94,318) | 68.8% (58,759) |
| 16+ | — | 64.6% (75,615) | 67.2% (152,589) |
BMW 3 Series by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 1990 BMW 3 Series · 76.8%
- 1996 BMW 3 Series · 66.7%
- 1997 BMW 3 Series · 67.2%
- 1998 BMW 3 Series · 67.8%
- 1999 BMW 3 Series · 64.9%
- 2000 BMW 3 Series · 64.6%
- 2001 BMW 3 Series · 63.8%
- 2002 BMW 3 Series · 65.0%
- 2003 BMW 3 Series · 64.9%
- 2004 BMW 3 Series · 64.1%
- 2005 BMW 3 Series · 64.9%
- 2006 BMW 3 Series · 66.3%
- 2007 BMW 3 Series · 67.2%
- 2008 BMW 3 Series · 67.2%
- 2009 BMW 3 Series · 66.3%
- 2010 BMW 3 Series · 67.6%
- 2011 BMW 3 Series · 69.5%
- 2012 BMW 3 Series · 69.7%
- 2013 BMW 3 Series · 74.5%
- 2014 BMW 3 Series · 77.3%
- 2015 BMW 3 Series · 81.8%
- 2016 BMW 3 Series · 84.2%
- 2017 BMW 3 Series · 85.8%
- 2018 BMW 3 Series · 87.0%
- 2019 BMW 3 Series · 87.1%
- 2020 BMW 3 Series · 85.4%
- 2021 BMW 3 Series · 85.4%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific hybrid BMW 3 Series
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.