MOT performance
BMW 3 Series petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 352,408 MOT tests on petrol BMW 3 Seriess in 2023–2024 (on average 13.7 years old at test, median 84,150 miles), 73.8% passed first time, against 74.3% of 584,359 diesel BMW 3 Series tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol BMW 3 Seriess failed 26% less often than comparable cars — 0.74× against 0.77× for the BMW 3 Series as a whole.
352,408 MOT tests on 191,651 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
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| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 73.8% | ±0.1 pts (95%), n = 352,408 |
| All BMW 3 Seriess | 74.9% | n = 1,007,360 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 0.74× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; BMW 3 Series overall 0.77× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 7.8% | n = 352,408 |
| Average age at test | 13.7 years | n = 352,408 |
| Registration years covered | 1972–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Petrol 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 petrol cars were tested 3.3 years older 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 petrol BMW 3 Seriess differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: petrol BMW 3 Seriess failed 29% more often than the BMW 3 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (0.87× vs 0.67×).
- Seat belts and airbags: petrol BMW 3 Seriess failed 21% more often than the BMW 3 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (0.96× vs 0.79×).
| Area | Petrol (vs similar) | All BMW 3 Seriess (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 8.7% (-45%) | 9.0% (-34%) |
| Brakes | 7.4% (-20%) | 6.3% (-25%) |
| Suspension | 7.0% (-42%) | 6.6% (-41%) |
| Tyres | 6.6% (+1%) | 7.6% (+8%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.1% (-13%) | 2.7% (-33%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 4.1% (-31%) | 3.6% (-32%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 1.7% (-70%) | 1.3% (-72%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.6% (-4%) | 1.1% (-21%) |
| Road wheels | 1.0% (+136%) | 1.1% (+127%) |
| Steering | 0.8% (-70%) | 0.6% (-74%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.5% (-5%) | 0.5% (+4%) |
Most common petrol BMW 3 Series failure items
1 of these 5 items is not among the BMW 3 Series's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.18% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 2.16% |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 2.02% |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 1.85% |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 1.84% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | petrol pass rate (tests) | diesel pass rate (tests) | hybrid pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 88.2% (35,044) | 86.7% (32,527) | 86.4% (26,907) |
| 5-6 | 86.9% (25,610) | 86.1% (68,327) | 86.1% (14,824) |
| 7-8 | 84.2% (19,773) | 82.1% (101,211) | 83.0% (5,790) |
| 9-10 | 79.6% (21,587) | 74.9% (111,824) | — |
| 11-12 | 73.4% (26,494) | 68.8% (97,713) | — |
| 13-15 | 68.8% (58,759) | 65.9% (94,318) | — |
| 16+ | 67.2% (152,589) | 64.6% (75,615) | — |
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 petrol 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.