BMW
12,151 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 6 Seriess pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.4%
Pass-after-fix
2.4%
Fail
9.7%
Avg miles
71,674
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 12,148 tests
Pass rate climbs 5.4 points across the cohorts — newer 6 Series examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
85.2%
Fail
11.2%
PRS
3.3%
Avg mileage at test
86,414 mi
Pass
90.5%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
51,168 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 5,980 MOT tests, the 6 Series returns 85.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 64,793, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
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 →
36–48
out of 50
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
178 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
150 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
134 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
129 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
124 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
72 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
65 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
61 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
50 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
46 occurrences · 0.4% 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
£200–£430
If every one of this 6 Series'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 5.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 6 Series has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
90.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.5% — a 5.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 51,168 miles — roughly 35K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, 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. 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
85.2%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 85.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 86,414 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (85.2% pass). That's a 5.4-point spread across 7,068 older tests and 5,080 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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.
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Recall history
The 6 Series has 24 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 6 Series 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.
