MOT fail rates by first-use year

2004 BMW 3 Series MOT fail rate and common faults

How BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2004 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 44,161 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 21 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 21 (n=8,489)32.7%

All cars at 21 years (n=1,321,417)42.1%

Difference−9.3 pts

MOT tests of 2004 cars, 2022 to 202544,161

What stands out

In 2025, at 21 years old, BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2004 failed 32.7% of MOTs (8,489 tests), 9.3 points below the 42.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 18 to 21 years old, the fail rate moved from 36.9% to 32.7%.
BMW 3 Series cars first used a year earlier, in 2003, failed 34.0% at the same age of 21 years (10,443 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the BMW 3 Series at 21 years, is handbrake too weak, at 4.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2004: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	18 years	36.9%	13,957	43.3%	−6.4 pts
2023	19 years	36.0%	11,860	43.2%	−7.2 pts
2024	20 years	34.9%	9,855	42.8%	−7.8 pts
2025	21 years	32.7%	8,489	42.1%	−9.3 pts

Most common faults at 21 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 21 years: cars first used 2001 to 2004, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=35,716). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Handbrake too weak	4.6	2.7
Suspension ball joint worn	3.1	2.2
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	3.0	2.5
Airbag (SRS) warning light on	2.8	1.4
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	2.5	2.4
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	2.3	3.7
Suspension arm bush worn	2.2	1.9
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.1	2.4
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	2.1	2.1
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.0	3.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=35,716). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	23.2	14.8
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	20.8	15.9
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	15.0	14.8
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	8.6	10.4
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	8.2	7.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	7.6	10.4
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	6.3	5.4
Coil spring: corroded	5.8	8.1
Flexible brake hoses: slightly deteriorated	5.4	2.2
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	5.4	6.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=35,716). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 21 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 21 years: cars first used 2001 to 2004, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=35,716). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	83.6%	34.0%	29,835	41.7%	109,780 miles
Diesel	16.4%	38.0%	5,855	43.0%	157,062 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 21 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 21 years: cars first used 2001 to 2004, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=35,716). At 21 years, BMW 3 Series cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (38.9%, n=7,539) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (24.3%, n=2,337). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	24.3%	2,337	33.5%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	30.7%	6,513	40.6%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	35.1%	9,826	44.7%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	38.4%	8,699	46.5%
Over 150,000 miles	38.9%	7,539	46.6%

Car tax rules for a 2004 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2004 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2004 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the BMW 3 Series

2003 BMW 3 Series 2005 BMW 3 Series

Other BMW models first used in 2004

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
BMW 5 Series (2004)	21 years in 2025	31.5%	2,339	42.1%
BMW Z4 (2004)	21 years in 2025	30.1%	2,917	42.1%
BMW X5 (2004)	21 years in 2025	36.4%	2,227	42.1%
BMW X3 (2004)	21 years in 2025	36.3%	1,728	42.1%
BMW 1 Series (2004)	21 years in 2025	38.4%	1,117	42.1%
BMW 6 Series (2004)	20 years in 2024	27.5%	1,083	42.8%

More on the BMW 3 Series

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2004 BMW 3 Series cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.