BMW 6 Series MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 79.6% of BMW 6 Series MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 21,674 tests in Great Britain. For all cars it was 71.5%.
Compared with cars of the same age
Older cars fail more often, so a model that’s mostly a few years old will look better than one that’s mostly 12. These figures compare like with like.
At 3–5 years
87.7%
All cars: 86.1% (1.6 points better). 842 tests.
At 6–10 years
84.2%
All cars: 76.1% (8.1 points better). 8,716 tests.
At 11 years and over
75.6%
All cars: 61.3% (14.3 points better). 12,114 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 143 | 87.4% | 86.4% | 43,750 miles |
| 5 | 699 | 87.8% | 84.5% | 53,750 miles |
| 6 | 1,714 | 88.2% | 81.9% | 58,750 miles |
| 7 | 1,836 | 84.6% | 79.3% | 61,250 miles |
| 8 | 1,474 | 86.2% | 76.3% | 68,750 miles |
| 9 | 1,806 | 83.8% | 73.1% | 78,750 miles |
| 10 | 1,886 | 79.1% | 70.0% | 83,750 miles |
| 11 | 1,974 | 79.5% | 66.9% | 91,250 miles |
| 12 | 1,536 | 78.1% | 64.4% | 96,250 miles |
| 13 | 1,055 | 77.1% | 62.1% | 96,250 miles |
| 14 | 506 | 79.6% | 60.2% | 96,250 miles |
| 15 | 571 | 76.0% | 58.6% | 116,250 miles |
| 16 | 674 | 77.3% | 57.5% | 113,750 miles |
| 17 | 1,262 | 75.0% | 57.2% | 116,250 miles |
| 18 | 1,252 | 70.9% | 57.0% | 111,250 miles |
| 19 | 1,208 | 70.8% | 57.2% | 113,750 miles |
| 20+ | 2,076 | 73.9% | 61.4% | 108,750 miles |
Typical mileage is the median reading at the test, to the nearest 2,500 miles.
What fails most often
The share of BMW 6 Series MOT tests that failed on at least one item in each area, against all cars. A test can fail on several areas at once.
| Area | 6 Series | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Suspension | 8.8% | 13.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.6% | 16.6% |
| Brakes | 5.0% | 10.2% |
| Visibility | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.2% | 4.0% |
| Road wheels | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Steering | 1.2% | 2.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Coil spring: fractured or broken failed 3.4% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 2.3% of tests
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 1.8% of tests
- Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure failed 1.6% of tests
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 1.6% of tests
- Ball joint excessively worn failed 1.3% of tests · what this means
- Position lamp: not working failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid failed 1.1% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular 6 Series?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every 6 Series version DVSA records under this name (engines, trims and generations together), on its first MOT test of each visit. A “pass with rectification” (fixed within an hour) counts as a fail, as in DVSA’s own statistics.
- Cars under three years old are left out, because the few tested that young are mostly taxis.
- Fuel mix of the cars tested: diesel 62.5%, petrol 37.5%, liquefied petrolum gas (lpg) 0.0%.
- A pass rate describes the model, not any one car. How a car has been looked after matters more.
Download these figures (CSV) · Other BMW models · All makes
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data for 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our own analysis; not produced or endorsed by DVSA.