Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 44,317 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.4 points across the cohorts — newer 330 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 18,947

Pass

88.4%

Fail

9.6%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

76,733 mi

2018–2020 cohort 24,895

Pass

89.9%

Fail

8.3%

PRS

1.4%

Avg mileage at test

54,283 mi

2021+ cohort 475

Pass

90.7%

Fail

8.2%

PRS

0.6%

Avg mileage at test

39,658 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 3

BMW 330 · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

BMW 330: solid MOT record across 23,861 tests

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 23,861 tests puts this car on an 86.7% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 54,971 miles. The most common fail item is damaged tyre sidewall or structure, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.

For used buyers, the 330's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 32–44

A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →

32–44

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

802 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
02

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

788 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
03

A tyre seriously damaged

618 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
04

A tyre cords visible or damaged

480 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
05

A tyre seriously damaged

477 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Wiper blade defective

230 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
07

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

186 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
08

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

148 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
09

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

138 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
10

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

134 occurrences · 0.3% 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 2 failures

£120–£190

If every one of this 330'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.4-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW 330 makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

90.7%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 90.7% — a 2.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 39,658 miles — roughly 37K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

88.4%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 88.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.7% 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 has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 76,733 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (88.4% pass). That's a 2.4-point spread across 18,947 older tests and 475 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

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Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£10.99

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Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

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Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

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Buying or keeping a 330?

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 330 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.