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BMW 6 Series exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 7,945 MOT tests · Updated

At 9 years, 0.4 in 100 MOT tests of the BMW 6 Series failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 7,945 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 35 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 18 ages from 3 to 20 years, 89,667 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 9 years: 7,945 for the BMW 6 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 9 years, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 9 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

BMW 6 Series exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

BMW 6 Series exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the BMW 6 Series. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 1,378 MOT tests34 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 3,760 MOT tests5 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 5,078 MOT tests56 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 6,663 MOT tests7 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 7,590 MOT tests78 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 7,289 MOT tests9 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 7,945 MOT tests910 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 7,674 MOT tests11 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 6,232 MOT tests1112 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 4,654 MOT tests13 years: 2.1 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 3,306 MOT tests1314 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 2,995 MOT tests15 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 3,678 MOT tests1516 years: 2.5 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 4,607 MOT tests17 years: 3.6 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 5,347 MOT tests1718 years: 4.0 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 5,311 MOT tests19 years: 4.4 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 3,878 MOT tests1920 years: 5.0 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 2,282 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. BMW 6 Series All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
31,3780.60.5
43,7600.80.7
55,0781.01.0
66,6630.81.3
77,5900.61.7
87,2890.32.1
97,9450.42.4
107,6740.52.8
116,2320.83.2
124,6541.33.7
133,3062.14.3
142,9951.75.1
153,6782.45.7
164,6072.56.2
175,3473.66.5
185,3114.06.8
19*3,8784.47.0
20*2,2825.07.0

All first-use years of the BMW 6 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 exhaust, emissions and leaks at 9 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 3.0 diesel: 0.4 per 100 at 9 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 7,329 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one BMW 6 Series, not the average

The figures here describe BMW 6 Series cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other BMW 6 Series problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the BMW 6 Series have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.4 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 7,945 MOT tests).

How common are BMW 6 Series exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

0.4 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 7,945 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, 89,667 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