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MOT fail rates

BMW X3 MOT fail rate by age

How often the BMW X3 fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 404,678 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated

At 3 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 3 (n=42,930)9.5%
All cars at 3 years (n=8,016,463)12.1%
Median mileage at test24,587
All cars, median mileage22,806

103 of 343 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 3 years.

What stands out

  • At 3 years the BMW X3 fails 9.5% of MOTs (42,930 tests), 2.5 points below the 12.1% for all cars that age. At 21 years it fails 36.3% (1,729 tests), 5.7 points below the 42.1% average.
  • The gap is widest at 14 years: 12.0 points below all cars.
  • Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 3 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, at 0.4 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age

3 years 21 years 47.6%

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

BMW X3: share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
AgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifferenceMedian mileage
3 years9.5%42,93012.1%−2.5 pts24,587 miles
4 years10.3%42,92213.4%−3.1 pts32,135 miles
5 years11.8%39,85715.3%−3.5 pts39,787 miles
6 years13.5%41,14717.8%−4.3 pts48,315 miles
7 years17.0%32,58320.6%−3.6 pts58,264 miles
8 years20.4%30,47723.8%−3.3 pts68,724 miles
9 years22.8%29,54927.1%−4.3 pts78,220 miles
10 years25.2%27,45930.3%−5.1 pts88,062 miles
11 years27.1%24,54033.3%−6.2 pts96,121 miles
12 years27.7%19,14736.0%−8.3 pts103,063 miles
13 years28.1%13,29038.3%−10.2 pts109,068 miles
14 years28.3%8,26240.3%−12.0 pts113,134 miles
15 years32.2%6,99741.6%−9.4 pts118,707 miles
16 years33.8%9,72342.6%−8.8 pts125,015 miles
17 years36.4%11,01843.1%−6.7 pts130,926 miles
18 years36.7%11,19043.3%−6.6 pts130,328 miles
19 years37.7%7,66243.2%−5.5 pts131,261 miles
20 years36.3%4,19642.8%−6.4 pts129,272 miles
21 years36.3%1,72942.1%−5.7 pts120,731 miles

Most common fail items at 3 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

Fail itemPer 100 MOTs
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Major0.4

Out of 42,930 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail itemPer 100 MOTs
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major4.4
Tyre with cords exposed Dangerous1.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous1.2
Headlight aimed too high Major0.8
Side repeaters: not working Major0.6
Wipers not clearing screen Major0.6
Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Dangerous0.5
Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements Major0.5
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Major0.3

Out of 42,930 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 3 years

ModelMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
BMW 3 Series14.4%89,86512.1%
BMW 1 Series10.4%89,39312.1%
BMW 2 Series11.3%54,04912.1%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated .

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First usedAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
200421 years in 202536.3%1,72842.1%
200520 years in 202537.0%2,03042.8%
200619 years in 202535.0%2,39243.2%
200718 years in 202532.6%1,79043.3%
200817 years in 202532.0%1,26543.1%
200916 years in 202530.2%1,18742.6%
201114 years in 202526.6%3,86140.3%
201213 years in 202528.7%6,69638.3%
201312 years in 202527.5%7,14436.0%
201411 years in 202526.3%6,06933.3%
201510 years in 202521.5%7,06430.3%
20169 years in 202520.7%9,00227.1%
20178 years in 202517.5%8,09923.8%
20187 years in 202512.0%8,17520.6%
20196 years in 202511.6%15,71817.8%
20205 years in 202511.3%7,58515.3%
20214 years in 202511.4%10,70713.4%
20223 years in 20259.3%7,47212.1%

More on the BMW X3

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.

Looking at one BMW X3?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the 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 22 September 2026.

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