BMW M3 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW M3 took 15,787 MOT tests in Britain and passed 85% 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: 15,787
First-time pass rate: 85%
All cars: 71%

What the M3 fails on

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

Lights and electrics4.8% (all cars 11.3%)
Tyres3.4% (all cars 6.4%)
Suspension3.3% (all cars 9.0%)
Brakes3.3% (all cars 6.8%)
Exhaust and emissions2.5% (all cars 3.1%)
Visibility2.3% (all cars 4.8%)
Seat belts and airbags1.0% (all cars 1.0%)
Body and structure0.8% (all cars 3.5%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.4%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 1.2%
Headlamp aim: too low 1.1%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 1.0%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 0.9%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 0.8%
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 0.8%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault 0.8%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 10.0%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 6.8%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 4.4%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 3.2%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 2.9%
Transmission oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 2.2%
Brake pads: wearing thin 1.7%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 1.3%

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
2001	333	77%
2002	1,246	83%
2003	1,987	82%
2004	1,424	83%
2005	1,018	83%
2006	356	87%
2007	456	87%
2008	1,134	87%
2009	730	88%
2010	645	88%
2011	691	88%
2012	606	90%
2013	455	89%
2015	562	86%
2016	764	89%
2017	1,015	87%
2018	903	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
5 years	31,709 miles
6 years	37,350 miles
7 years	44,107 miles
8 years	52,191 miles
9 years	59,636 miles
10 years	51,358 miles
11 years	56,802 miles
12 years	66,172 miles
13 years	70,171 miles
14 years	75,294 miles
15 years	80,955 miles
16 years	87,035 miles
17 years	81,850 miles
18 years	89,925 miles
19 years	95,085 miles
20 years	98,568 miles

Check a particular M3

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.