BMW
35,341 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where X6s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.3%
Pass-after-fix
2.2%
Fail
10.0%
Avg miles
84,109
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 35,341 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.8 points across the cohorts — newer X6 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
86.9%
Fail
10.3%
PRS
2.3%
Avg mileage at test
89,446 mi
Pass
89.7%
Fail
8.1%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
51,544 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The BMW X6 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV by German automaker BMW. The BMW X6 is the originator of the sports activity coupé (SAC), referencing its sloping rear roof design.
MOT data from 15,862 tests puts this car on a 84.3% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 78,940 miles. The most common fail item is tyre with exposed cords, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.
If you’re able to look beyond the looks of the BMW X6, you’ll find an SUV that remains hugely practical, brilliant to drive and will almost certainly ruin someone’s day on the commute to work...
For used buyers, the X6'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
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 →
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A tyre cords visible or damaged
586 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
579 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
488 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
391 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
387 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
382 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
278 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
192 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
160 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
159 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 2 failures
£140–£335
If every one of this X6'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 2.8-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW X6 makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
89.7%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.7% — a 2.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 51,544 miles — roughly 38K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has ply or cords exposed, 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
86.9%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has ply or cords exposed, and constant velocity boot severely deteriorated. Average mileage on test for this band is 89,446 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.9% pass). That's a 2.8-point spread across 30,371 older tests and 4,970 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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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
If you’re able to look beyond the looks of the BMW X6, you’ll find an SUV that remains hugely practical, brilliant to drive and will almost certainly ruin someone’s day on the commute to work...
Where it falls short
Challenging styling, high spec petrols expensive to buy and run, image is too brash for some.
Recall history
The X6 has 30 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 an X6 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.
