2017 BMW 3 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 BMW 3 Series passed 89.8% of its 173,376 recorded MOT tests. Executive cars of a similar age fail 11.6% of the time, so this is 1.4pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 5.8% of all tests — 3.4 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 4,619 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 14.3% versus 5.7%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 9.5% of the time against 10.7% for hybrid.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 20.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 8.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.8% | 10,055 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 4,133 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.9% | 3,308 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.5% | 2,604 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.3% | 2,275 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.6% | 1,066 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 4,619 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 2,929 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 2,641 |
| 4 | Washers | 1,839 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 1,596 |
| 6 | Wipers | 989 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 20.7% | 35,860 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.7% | 21,967 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.8% | 11,823 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.0% | 8,627 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.2% | 5,596 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 3,283 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 19,650 | 5.7% |
| 30-60k | 72,765 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 53,564 | 11.6% |
| 90-120k | 19,777 | 12.8% |
| 120-150k | 5,538 | 13.6% |
| 150k+ | 2,071 | 14.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 116,466 | 10.2% |
| Petrol | 31,084 | 9.5% |
| Hybrid | 25,818 | 10.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35,650 | 8.5% |
| 2022 | 34,715 | 9.0% |
| 2023 | 34,556 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 34,392 | 11.3% |
| 2025 | 34,063 | 11.8% |
What to check before buying a 2017 3 Series
On a 2017 3 Series, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (5.8% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (2.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (1.9% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2017 BMW 3 Seriess pass their MOT?
89.8% of the 173,376 2017 BMW 3 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 BMW 3 Series?
Tyres, recorded in 5.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.4%).
Does the 2017 3 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.7% in the 0-30k band to 14.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 173,376 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.