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BMW 3 Series, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

474,603 BMW 3 Series are licensed in the UK, the 11th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 76% of initial MOT tests, 3.7 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific 3 Series? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

BMW 3 Series at the MOT

76% of 478,900 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 3 Series 249th of 575 models. BMW 3 Series aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 69.1%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • BMW 3 Series76%
  • All BMW modelsThe 3 Series is 3.3 pts behind79.3%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

BMW 3 Series tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years66,613 tests87.3%
  • 6 to 10 years142,523 tests82.5%
  • 11 years and over258,979 tests69.1%

Where 3 Series fail

Share of all failure items recorded on BMW 3 Series tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.6%
  • Suspension18.6%
  • Tyres18.3%
  • Brakes16.5%
  • Visibility6.9%

The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (6.1%), shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3%) and position lamp not working (4.6%).

The MOT page lists every common 3 Series MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full BMW 3 Series MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The 3 Series's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.23.6% of 3 Series failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.18.6% of 3 Series failure items

  3. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.18.3% of 3 Series failure items

BMW 3 Series in the UK

474,603 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other BMW. The number licensed has fallen 28% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−28%from 655,879 licensed
Typical year of first use
2014half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2014 or earlier
First registered in 2025
10,787against 36,244 in 2015
Declared off the road
120,73920% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed BMW 3 Series since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014655,879
End of 2015650,873
End of 2016641,745
End of 2017628,178
End of 2018606,382
End of 2019588,813
End of 2020572,955
End of 2021567,085
End of 2022550,103
End of 2023525,241
End of 2024504,448
End of 2025483,414
End of June 2026474,603

How old they are

Licensed BMW 3 Series by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 42,560 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20258,77210,787
202413,45516,373
20239,89212,217
202210,21613,823
202120,10626,369
202018,68123,433
201923,87327,487
201823,50327,316
201729,48735,010
201630,65936,002
201530,86536,244
201431,252
201332,780
201230,474
201123,337
201020,945
200918,226
200816,588
200718,576
200613,230

30,865 3 Series first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 85% of the 36,244 first registered that year.

3 Series engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 71% of BMW 3 Series MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.0 litre at 18%. Diesel accounts for 52% of licensed 3 Series and petrol for 33%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 478,674 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre71%
  • 3.0 litre18%
  • 2.5 litre4%
  • 2.2 litre1.9%
  • 1.5 litre1.1%

Fuel type, licensed 3 Series

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol155,94733%
Diesel245,07552%
Plug-in hybrid56,97212%
Hybrid electric16,5503%
Gas59<0.1%

BMW 3 Series recalls

53 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW 3 Series. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 3 Series is affected.

  1. Mar 2026 R/2026/054

    Replace the Engine Starter Motor

    3 Series built Sep 2020 to Feb 2024 · 24,735 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The Safety Recall relates to the engine starter motor. The fault relates to the RSW22 starter RWT (reinforced water tightness). It was found that with RWT starters an increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can cause the growth of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn may increase the relay contact resistance resulting in false starts or even causing short circuits and possibly a thermal reaction. In case of a short circuit the possibility of a thermal event cannot be excluded. This may happen while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibrations causing a short circuit due to moving deposits.
    Remedy
    On the affected vehicles the starter motor will be replaced with a variant by another supplier with a different design. Until the repair has been completed it is recommended to not leave the vehicle running unattended after starting the engine.

  2. Jan 2026 R/2025/327

    Replace the Driver's Airbag - Takata PSDI-5

    3 Series built Jan 2006 to Oct 2013 · 370,257 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may be fitted with a drivers airbag which may deploy with too much explosive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released into the cabin. It has the potential to fatally or seriously injure vehicle occupants.
    Remedy
    Affected vehicles will have the airbag replaced.

  3. Dec 2025 R/2025/349

    Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)

    3 Series built Oct 1997 to Nov 2017 · 71,635 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
    Remedy
    Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.

  4. Oct 2025 R/2025/405

    Replace the Engine Starter Motor

    3 Series built Feb 2018 to Jun 2021 · 91,562 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For affected vehicles there is a concern involving water ingress and corrosion to the starter motor for where a short circuit cannot be ruled out. It is strongly recommended to park the vehicle outdoors and not in the immediate vicinity of buildings until the repair has been carried out.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the starter motor.

  5. Oct 2025 R/2025/323

    Replace the Front Passenger Airbag Takata PSPI

    3 Series built May 1999 to Aug 2006 · 102,611 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For vehicles fitted with a Takata front passenger airbag with a PSPI inflator these vehicles have previously received a like for like replacement front passenger airbag via a previous safety recall campaign.
    Remedy
    The front passenger airbag module of the affected vehicles will now be replaced by an airbag module or an inflator that does not contain ammonium nitrate.

  6. Oct 2024 R/2024/403

    Check Driver's Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5

    3 Series built Oct 2004 to Nov 2017 · 576,269 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may have had a retrofit or conversion of the airbag using a previously recalled airbag variant which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury possibly fatal to people in the vicinity. The original factory fitment airbag for the vehicle is not affected.
    Remedy
    Vehicles will have the airbag checked and if necessary replaced.

  7. Sep 2024 R/2024/428

    Replace the Passenger Airbag

    3 Series built Jul 2024 · 33 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On certain vehicles the passenger airbag may not have had the seam sewn according to the specifications.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the passenger airbag

  8. May 2024 R/2024/191

    Replace VANOS bolts N51 N52 N55

    3 Series built Oct 2009 to Jun 2011 · 4,180 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles overtime the aluminium screws can loosen or break on the adjustable variable camshaft timing (VANOS) units potentially resulting in engine emergency mode being activated.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles the eight aluminium screws will be replaced if evidence of faulty screws is found then the VANOS adjustment unit will also be replaced.
How to check a specific 3 Series for recalls

3 Series vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other BMW models

The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the 3 Series's 76% MOT pass rate.

All 28 BMW models

BMW 3 Series FAQs

How many BMW 3 Series are there in the UK?

474,603 BMW 3 Series were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 120,739 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the BMW 3 Series reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 76% first-time pass rate for the BMW 3 Series across 478,900 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the BMW 3 Series had any recalls?

53 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW 3 Series. The most recent was published in March 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used BMW 3 Series?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a BMW 3 Series's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a 3 Series?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.