BMW X6 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW X6 took 15,265 MOT tests in Britain and passed 83% 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: 15,265
First-time pass rate: 83%
All cars: 71%

What the X6 fails on

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

Tyres6.9% (all cars 6.4%)
Suspension4.0% (all cars 9.0%)
Lights and electrics3.8% (all cars 11.3%)
Visibility2.7% (all cars 4.8%)
Brakes2.2% (all cars 6.8%)
Exhaust and emissions1.3% (all cars 3.1%)
Number plates and VIN1.0% (all cars 0.4%)
Wheels0.8% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 2.5%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 2.2%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 1.8%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.7%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.1%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.1%
Side repeaters: not working 0.9%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 0.9%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 18.4%
Brake pads: wearing thin 5.3%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 3.9%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 3.5%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 3.0%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 2.8%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.6%
Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint has slight play 2.3%

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
2008	483	73%
2009	956	76%
2010	784	77%
2011	771	75%
2012	1,109	77%
2013	1,237	79%
2014	1,396	80%
2015	1,298	87%
2016	1,833	87%
2017	1,404	90%
2018	2,135	88%
2019	685	87%
2020	1,096	85%

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	27,538 miles
4 years	37,597 miles
5 years	45,439 miles
6 years	55,877 miles
7 years	63,720 miles
8 years	73,748 miles
9 years	83,852 miles
10 years	91,768 miles
11 years	100,140 miles
12 years	104,663 miles
13 years	111,264 miles
14 years	116,062 miles
15 years	123,593 miles

Check a particular X6

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.