BMW
22,100 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 316s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.7 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
75.8%
Pass-after-fix
5.3%
Fail
18.0%
Avg miles
101,331
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 22,098 tests
Pass rate climbs 14.4 points across the cohorts — newer 316 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
75.6%
Fail
18.1%
PRS
5.3%
Avg mileage at test
101,747 mi
Pass
89.9%
Fail
8.1%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
71,734 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 series and has been produced in eight generations.
MOT data from 13,993 tests puts this car on a 74.5% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 96,400 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
Buyers weighing up a used 316 should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
25–36
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
594 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
492 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
365 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
295 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
290 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
289 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
267 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
258 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
257 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
244 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£180–£425
If every one of this 316's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 14.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 316 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.9%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.9% — a 14.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 71,734 miles — roughly 30K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
75.6%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 75.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and not working. Average mileage on test for this band is 101,747 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (75.6% pass). That's a 14.4-point spread across 21,800 older tests and 298 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 316 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
