MOT fail rates by first-use year

2011 BMW 3 Series MOT fail rate and common faults

How BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2011 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 116,144 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 14 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 14 (n=25,422)30.5%

All cars at 14 years (n=6,054,526)40.3%

Difference−9.7 pts

MOT tests of 2011 cars, 2022 to 2025116,144

What stands out

In 2025, at 14 years old, BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2011 failed 30.5% of MOTs (25,422 tests), 9.7 points below the 40.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 11 to 14 years old, the fail rate moved from 28.9% to 30.5%.
BMW 3 Series cars first used a year earlier, in 2010, failed 32.4% at the same age of 14 years (25,853 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the BMW 3 Series at 14 years, is shock absorber leaking, at 5.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2011: 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	11 years	28.9%	32,184	33.3%	−4.3 pts
2023	12 years	29.6%	30,560	36.0%	−6.4 pts
2024	13 years	31.2%	27,978	38.3%	−7.1 pts
2025	14 years	30.5%	25,422	40.3%	−9.7 pts

Most common faults at 14 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2008 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=105,614). 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
Shock absorber leaking	5.6	1.6
Side/position light not working Wear	4.4	5.4
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.3	3.1
Handbrake too weak	2.7	2.0
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	2.5	1.8
Suspension arm bush worn	2.1	2.1
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.9	2.1
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	1.9	2.1
Dipped headlight not working Wear	1.6	2.3
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	1.6	1.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=105,614). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	20.5	18.4
Shock absorber misting oil	11.8	4.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	8.9	8.4
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.3	7.2
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	8.1	8.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	7.8	11.0
Flexible brake hoses: slightly deteriorated	6.9	0.4
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	4.5	3.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	4.3	9.3
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	4.1	3.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=105,614). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 14 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2008 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=105,614). 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
Diesel	64.7%	33.0%	68,367	40.8%	130,758 miles
Petrol	35.3%	30.6%	37,247	40.0%	94,128 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 14 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2008 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=105,614). At 14 years, BMW 3 Series cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (36.4%, n=23,178) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (19.6%, n=5,999). 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	19.6%	5,999	30.5%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	27.7%	18,701	39.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	32.9%	29,491	44.0%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	35.0%	26,641	44.8%
Over 150,000 miles	36.4%	23,178	44.3%

Car tax rules for a 2011 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

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2011 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

2010 BMW 3 Series 2012 BMW 3 Series

Other BMW models first used in 2011

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
BMW 1 Series (2011)	14 years in 2025	32.3%	20,646	40.3%
BMW 5 Series (2011)	14 years in 2025	25.2%	10,893	40.3%
BMW X1 (2011)	14 years in 2025	31.0%	5,689	40.3%
BMW X3 (2011)	14 years in 2025	26.6%	3,861	40.3%
BMW X5 (2011)	14 years in 2025	23.2%	3,580	40.3%
BMW Z4 (2011)	14 years in 2025	18.7%	1,971	40.3%

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 2011 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.