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BMW 3 Series steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 134,877 MOT tests · Updated

At 10 years, 0.4 in 100 MOT tests of the BMW 3 Series failed on steering, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 134,877 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.2× (0.18–0.21×)) (all test years), 561 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 23 ages from 3 to 25 years, 1,972,463 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 10 years: 134,877 for the BMW 3 Series

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.4 fails per 100 MOT tests at 10 years, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 10 (all test years). The BMW 3 Series fails less often here.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

BMW 3 Series steering fails by age

BMW 3 Series steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the BMW 3 Series. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0243 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 89,865 MOT tests34 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 100,649 MOT tests5 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 104,546 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 114,167 MOT tests7 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 120,281 MOT tests78 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 128,164 MOT tests9 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 132,585 MOT tests910 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 134,877 MOT tests11 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 133,008 MOT tests1112 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 127,680 MOT tests13 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 115,041 MOT tests1314 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 105,614 MOT tests15 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 106,407 MOT tests1516 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 99,870 MOT tests17 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 85,976 MOT tests1718 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 70,071 MOT tests19 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 54,544 MOT tests1920 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 43,290 MOT tests21 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 35,716 MOT tests2122 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 4.0), 27,616 MOT tests23 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 19,516 MOT tests2324 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 13,295 MOT tests25 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 9,685 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. BMW 3 Series All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
389,8650.30.1
4100,6490.30.2
5104,5460.20.3
6114,1670.20.5
7120,2810.20.8
8128,1640.21.2
9132,5850.31.8
10134,8770.42.1
11133,0080.52.5
12127,6800.52.8
13115,0410.62.9
14105,6140.63.2
15106,4070.73.3
1699,8701.03.4
1785,9761.23.6
1870,0711.33.9
19*54,5441.44.1
20*43,2901.44.2
21*35,7161.44.2
22*27,6161.54.0
23*19,5162.03.9
24*13,2951.83.7
25*9,6852.23.7

All first-use years of the BMW 3 Series pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the steering at 10 years

Advisories (not fails)

Replace track rod end cost

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By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 diesel: 0.5 per 100 at 10 years, fails less often than diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (0.2× (0.18–0.22×)) (all test years; 94,198 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 10 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 16,056 MOT tests)
  • 3.0 diesel: 0.3 per 100 at 10 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 18,849 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 hybrid: 0.4 per 100 at 3 years, about average for hybrid class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 35,996 MOT tests)
  • 3.0 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 10 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 1,436 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

Check one BMW 3 Series, not the average

The figures here describe BMW 3 Series cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other BMW 3 Series problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the BMW 3 Series have more steering problems than other cars?

0.18 to 0.21 times the steering fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 10 years (all test years), from 134,877 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 14 of the 23 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are BMW 3 Series steering problems?

0.4 in 100 MOT tests at 10 years failed on steering, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 134,877 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 1,972,463 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare