BMW X3 MOT failure rate and common faults
106,562 BMW X3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 18.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 24.1% of the time, which makes the BMW X3 22% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
18.8%
failed first time
106,562 MOT tests in 2025
-22%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 24.1%
43 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
67.4
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 92.6
What fails on a BMW X3 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common BMW X3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 25.9 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 24.0 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 22.8 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 21.4 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 17.3 |
| Side repeaters: not working | Lights and electrics | 16.1 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 14.3 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 11.7 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 11.6 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 10.2 |
BMW X3 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,449 | 9.3% | 11.4% | 28,900 |
| 2021 | 10,664 | 11.4% | 12.8% | 38,200 |
| 2020 | 7,558 | 11.3% | 14.1% | 43,100 |
| 2019 | 15,665 | 11.6% | 16.5% | 49,900 |
| 2018 | 8,142 | 12.1% | 19.1% | 57,200 |
| 2017 | 8,066 | 17.6% | 21.8% | 69,200 |
| 2016 | 8,961 | 20.8% | 25.1% | 77,600 |
| 2015 | 7,028 | 21.6% | 28.1% | 88,800 |
| 2014 | 6,041 | 26.5% | 31.4% | 97,900 |
| 2013 | 7,092 | 27.6% | 34.3% | 105,600 |
| 2012 | 6,656 | 28.9% | 36.6% | 111,500 |
| 2011 | 3,839 | 26.7% | 38.8% | 116,000 |
| 2010 | 815 | 29.4% | 40.7% | 118,600 |
| 2009 | 1,179 | 30.4% | 41.8% | 119,500 |
| 2008 | 1,253 | 32.3% | 42.9% | 124,500 |
| 2007 | 1,777 | 32.9% | 42.7% | 132,300 |
| 2006 | 2,369 | 35.4% | 43.0% | 138,300 |
| 2005 | 2,008 | 37.5% | 42.4% | 141,600 |
Advisories to look for in a BMW X3's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the BMW X3, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge291.0
- Brake pads: wearing thin77.9
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing65.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened61.1
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement50.8
- Coil spring: corroded32.0
Checking a used BMW X3 before you buy
The BMW X3 has no part of the car that fails well above average for its age, so check the areas that fail most often overall.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the BMW X3 cars tested: Diesel 72%, Petrol 12%, Diesel hybrid 10%, Hybrid 7%. Average age at test 8.7 years, average recorded mileage 73,700.
BMW X3 MOT questions
What is the BMW X3 MOT failure rate?
18.8% of BMW X3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 106,562 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 24.1% of the time, so the BMW X3 was 22% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a BMW X3 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 91 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded 25.9 times per 1,000 tests.
Which BMW X3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2018 registrations did best: 12.1% failed against an average of 19.1% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular BMW X3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every BMW X3 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other BMW models
- BMW 3 Series23.5% failed
- BMW 1 Series24.0% failed
- BMW 5 Series19.6% failed
- BMW 2 Series16.5% failed
- BMW X117.6% failed
- BMW 4 Series16.6% failed
Ranked close to the BMW X3
- Range Rover Evoquerank 40
- Jaguar E-Pacerank 41
- Honda Jazzrank 42
- Audi Q3rank 44
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many BMW X3 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.