BMW 6 Series MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW 6 Series took 23,739 MOT tests in Britain and passed 80% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 23,739
First-time pass rate: 80%
All cars: 71%

What the 6 Series fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres7.7% (all cars 6.4%)
Suspension5.5% (all cars 9.0%)
Lights and electrics4.6% (all cars 11.3%)
Visibility3.0% (all cars 4.8%)
Brakes2.8% (all cars 6.8%)
Exhaust and emissions1.7% (all cars 3.1%)
Wheels1.2% (all cars 0.4%)
Steering1.2% (all cars 1.8%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Coil spring: fractured or broken 2.3%
Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 2.2%
Tyres, condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 2.0%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.6%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.6%
Position lamp: not working 1.1%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.1%
Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint excessively worn 1.1%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 15.8%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 6.1%
Brake pads: wearing thin 5.0%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 4.5%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 4.1%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 3.6%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 3.1%
Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint has slight play 2.1%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2004	1,235	69%
2005	1,394	70%
2006	1,538	72%
2007	1,305	74%
2008	1,176	76%
2009	620	75%
2010	571	76%
2011	647	79%
2012	1,615	80%
2013	2,080	80%
2014	2,049	82%
2015	2,003	83%
2016	1,878	84%
2017	1,355	84%
2018	2,361	87%
2019	1,084	90%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	28,635 miles
4 years	40,040 miles
5 years	45,832 miles
6 years	50,001 miles
7 years	59,800 miles
8 years	68,671 miles
9 years	75,887 miles
10 years	85,413 miles
11 years	90,398 miles
12 years	78,601 miles
13 years	108,528 miles
14 years	113,000 miles
15 years	113,815 miles
16 years	110,159 miles
17 years	108,194 miles
18 years	108,409 miles
19 years	105,928 miles

Check a particular 6 Series

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.