MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 BMW 3 Series MOT fail rate and common faults

How BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 134,843 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=31,320)31.7%

All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%

Difference−6.5 pts

MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 2025134,843

What stands out

In 2025, at 13 years old, BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2012 failed 31.7% of MOTs (31,320 tests), 6.5 points below the 38.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 28.9% to 31.7%.
BMW 3 Series cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 31.2% at the same age of 13 years (27,978 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the BMW 3 Series at 13 years, is shock absorber leaking, at 5.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.5).

MOT fail rate by test year

BMW 3 Series cars first used in 2012: 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	10 years	28.9%	35,668	30.3%	−1.4 pts
2023	11 years	29.3%	34,724	33.3%	−3.9 pts
2024	12 years	31.0%	33,131	36.0%	−5.0 pts
2025	13 years	31.7%	31,320	38.3%	−6.5 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=115,041). 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	5.7	1.5
Side/position light not working Wear	4.5	4.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.3	3.0
Handbrake too weak	2.4	1.7
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	2.4	1.8
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	2.0	2.0
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.8	2.1
Brake light not working Wear	1.8	3.1
Dipped headlight not working Wear	1.8	2.2
Suspension arm bush worn	1.7	2.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=115,041). 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	20.1	18.2
Shock absorber misting oil	11.1	4.0
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.1	7.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	7.8	10.6
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	7.3	8.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	5.5	7.2
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	4.2	2.9
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	4.0	9.1
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	3.4	3.3
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	2.9	2.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=115,041). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=115,041). 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	72.9%	32.9%	83,815	39.1%	124,652 miles
Petrol	27.1%	29.1%	31,195	37.7%	87,560 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all BMW 3 Series MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=115,041). At 13 years, BMW 3 Series cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (35.7%, n=22,896) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (20.5%, n=7,591). 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	20.5%	7,591	29.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	27.9%	22,222	38.0%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	32.9%	32,501	42.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	35.1%	28,180	43.2%
Over 150,000 miles	35.7%	22,896	43.0%

Car tax rules for a 2012 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 2012 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

2011 BMW 3 Series 2013 BMW 3 Series

Other BMW models first used in 2012

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
BMW 1 Series (2012)	13 years in 2025	33.2%	27,831	38.3%
BMW 5 Series (2012)	13 years in 2025	26.5%	13,320	38.3%
BMW X3 (2012)	13 years in 2025	28.7%	6,696	38.3%
BMW X1 (2012)	13 years in 2025	30.4%	5,155	38.3%
BMW X5 (2012)	13 years in 2025	23.4%	3,745	38.3%
BMW Z4 (2012)	13 years in 2025	19.9%	1,850	38.3%
BMW 6 Series (2012)	13 years in 2025	21.7%	1,430	38.3%
BMW X6 (2012)	13 years in 2025	24.4%	1,016	38.3%

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 2012 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.