BMW M3
From 35,510 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer M3s fare better: 2018 models pass at 95% vs 85.8% for 2002.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a tyre cords visible or damaged, a tyre seriously damaged and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a tyre cords visible or damaged, caused 397 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 397 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 278 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 243 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 234 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 225 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 194 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 179 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 163 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 159 |
| lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 152 |
BMW M3 on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 2,141 newly registered in the past year with 598 leaving, a net gain of 1,543. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 28,162 | 8,081 | +530 | -179 | +351 |
| 2025 Q2 | 28,130 | 7,762 | +398 | -69 | +329 |
| 2025 Q1 | 26,589 | 8,974 | +660 | -53 | +607 |
| 2024 Q4 | 25,768 | 9,188 | +553 | -297 | +256 |
| 2024 Q3 | 26,832 | 7,868 | +858 | -0 | +913 |
| 2024 Q2 | 26,316 | 7,471 | +1,107 | -0 | +1,452 |
| 2024 Q1 | 24,284 | 8,051 | +907 | -696 | +211 |
| 2023 Q4 | 23,359 | 8,765 | +845 | -233 | +612 |
18 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3 | Gas | 6,054 | 22% |
| M340I Xdrive Mhev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 5,266 | 19% |
| M3 Competition M Xdrive Auto | Petrol | 4,357 | 16% |
| M340D Xdrive Mhev Auto | Hybrid Electric (Diesel) | 3,518 | 13% |
| M3 Semi Auto | Petrol | 2,461 | 9% |
| M340I Xdrive Auto | Petrol | 1,705 | 6% |
| M3 Competition Package S-A | Petrol | 1,627 | 6% |
| M3 S-A | Petrol | 1,161 | 4% |
| M3 Competition Auto | Petrol | 655 | 2% |
| M3 Limited Edition 500 S-A | Petrol | 288 | 1% |
| M3 Evolution | Gas | 227 | <1% |
| M3 Coupe | Petrol | 220 | <1% |
| M3 Csl | Petrol | 130 | <1% |
| M3 Cs | Petrol | 97 | <1% |
| M3 Alpine S-A | Petrol | 74 | <1% |
| M3 Cs S-A | Petrol | 68 | <1% |
| M3 Monte Carlo S-A | Petrol | 66 | <1% |
| M3 Frozen Silver Edition S-A | Petrol | 65 | <1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 95% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 93.6% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2016 | 94.6% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 96.3% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
22 earlier years
| 2014 | 93% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2013 | 93.8% | a tyre seriously damaged, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2012 | 92% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2011 | 90.5% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2010 | 89.2% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2009 | 90.8% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2008 | 89.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2007 | 91.7% | significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2006 | 85.6% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, headlamp levelling device inoperative |
| 2005 | 86% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2004 | 87.9% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2003 | 87.2% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2002 | 85.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2001 | 84.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1999 | 90.1% | lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow |
| 1998 | 84.7% | emissions levels exceed default limits, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 1997 | 85.4% | lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1996 | 81.5% | lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1995 | 83% | emissions levels exceed default limits, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 1994 | 80.9% | emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1990 | 89% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a door will not open using the relevant control or close properly |
| 1989 | 97.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
Typical mileage
Half of all M3s tested had between 79,973 and 117,962 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 103,217 median miles, the M3 has 0.009 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other BMW models
| BMW 3 Series | 79.2% |
| BMW 118 | 82.8% |
| BMW 116 | 78.9% |
| BMW X5 | 85.4% |
| BMW X3 | 83.9% |
Common questions
What is the BMW M3 MOT pass rate?
The BMW M3 has a 90.6% MOT pass rate based on 35,510 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a BMW M3?
The most common MOT failure on the BMW M3 is a tyre cords visible or damaged, which caused 397 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many BMW M3s are on UK roads?
There are 28,162 BMW M3s currently licensed on UK roads, with 8,081 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a BMW M3 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a BMW M3 is 103,217 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 79,973 and 117,962 miles.
Buying a used M3?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.