Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

Common problems by part

BMW X3 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 42,930 MOT tests · Updated

At 3 years, 0.7 in 100 MOT tests of the BMW X3 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 42,930 MOT tests) [1].

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 290 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 19 ages from 3 to 21 years, 404,678 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, 0.5 per 100 MOT tests

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

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.7 fails per 100 MOT tests at 3 years, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

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 X3 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

BMW X3 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the BMW X3. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.053 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 42,930 MOT tests34 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 42,922 MOT tests5 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 39,857 MOT tests56 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 41,147 MOT tests7 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 32,583 MOT tests78 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 30,477 MOT tests9 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 29,549 MOT tests910 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 27,459 MOT tests11 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 24,540 MOT tests1112 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 19,147 MOT tests13 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 13,290 MOT tests1314 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 8,262 MOT tests15 years: 3.9 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 6,997 MOT tests1516 years: 4.0 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 9,723 MOT tests17 years: 4.1 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 11,018 MOT tests1718 years: 5.7 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 11,190 MOT tests19 years: 6.0 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 7,662 MOT tests1920 years: 6.7 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 4,196 MOT tests21 years: 8.7 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,729 MOT tests21
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. BMW X3 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
342,9300.70.5
442,9220.90.7
539,8570.91.0
641,1470.81.3
732,5830.91.7
830,4770.92.1
929,5490.92.4
1027,4590.82.8
1124,5400.63.2
1219,1470.73.7
1313,2900.94.3
148,2621.75.1
156,9973.95.7
169,7234.06.2
1711,0184.16.5
1811,1905.76.8
19*7,6626.07.0
20*4,1966.77.0
21*1,7298.77.1

All first-use years of the BMW X3 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 3 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Diagnose engine warning light cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

Buying a BMW X3? Check that exact car before the viewing.

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 diesel: 1.0 per 100 at 3 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 11,649 MOT tests)
  • 3.0 diesel: 0.5 per 100 at 3 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 3,743 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: Transmission oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one BMW X3, not the average

The figures here describe BMW X3 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

  • Check a BMW X3's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
  • MOT advisory checker Paste an advisory or defect to read DVSA's wording, its grade and what tends to happen at the next MOT.

Other BMW X3 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the BMW X3 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.7 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 42,930 MOT tests).

How common are BMW X3 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

0.7 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 42,930 MOT tests).

What is the most common BMW X3 exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (202 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 404,678 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. 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