106,562 X3s had an MOT in 2025. 81.2% passed first time, against 74.8% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 6.4 points better than comparable cars.
Each dot compares how often X3s of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 62.5% | +7.6 | 2,008 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 64.6% | +10.1 | 2,369 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 67.1% | +12.0 | 1,777 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 67.7% | +12.5 | 1,253 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 69.5% | +13.5 | 1,179 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 70.6% | +13.5 | 815 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 73.3% | +14.1 | 3,839 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 71.1% | +9.9 | 6,656 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 72.3% | +8.8 | 7,092 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 73.5% | +7.0 | 6,041 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 78.4% | +8.3 | 7,028 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 79.2% | +5.7 | 8,961 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 82.4% | +5.3 | 8,066 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 87.9% | +7.2 | 8,142 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 88.4% | +5.2 | 15,665 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 88.7% | +3.0 | 7,558 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 88.5% | +1.6 | 10,664 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 90.7% | +2.2 | 7,449 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
5.6% of X3 MOTs failed on tyres, against 6.4% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 3.2% on visibility, against 3.9%.
Up to 30,000 miles, X3s pass as often as cars of the same age and mileage. Ahead from there: 30–60,000 miles 4.7 points, 60–90,000 miles 8.4 points, 90–120,000 miles 9.8 points, 120,000+ miles 8.1 points.
Diesels passed 78.4% first time, 7.6 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 87.3%, 4.8 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 80,143 miles at the test, against 39,320 for petrols. Hybrids are mostly newer cars (median 31,190 miles), so compare them with care.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 76,717 | 78.4% | 70.8% | +7.6 | 80,143 |
| Petrol | 12,511 | 87.3% | 82.5% | +4.8 | 39,320 |
| Other | 10,224 | 89.0% | 87.1% | +1.8 | 33,981 |
| Hybrid | 7,100 | 89.3% | 87.3% | +2.0 | 31,190 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The X3 ranks 8 of 18.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Range Rover | 39,880 | 85.2% | 76.5% | +8.7 | |
| 2. Audi Q5 | 85,227 | 85.7% | 77.9% | +7.8 | |
| 3. Range Rover Sport | 75,077 | 84.2% | 77.2% | +7.0 | |
| 4. Land Rover Discovery | 67,572 | 82.7% | 76.4% | +6.3 | |
| 5. Jaguar I-Pace | 17,780 | 91.1% | 85.4% | +5.8 | |
| 6. BMW X1 | 82,175 | 84.9% | 79.3% | +5.7 | |
| 7. Range Rover Evoque | 148,573 | 83.4% | 78.1% | +5.2 | |
| 8. BMW X3 | 72,125 | 84.4% | 79.2% | +5.2 | |
| 9. Audi Q3 | 110,455 | 83.4% | 78.2% | +5.1 | |
| 10. Volvo XC60 | 90,526 | 81.8% | 76.8% | +5.0 | |
| 11. Volvo XC90 | 40,591 | 83.5% | 78.5% | +5.0 | |
| 12. Volvo XC40 | 71,168 | 89.6% | 85.4% | +4.1 | |
| 13. Jaguar F-Pace | 53,345 | 84.6% | 80.5% | +4.1 | |
| 14. Land Rover Defender | 26,707 | 84.0% | 80.4% | +3.6 | |
| 15. Jaguar E-Pace | 31,252 | 87.1% | 83.6% | +3.5 | |
| 16. Land Rover Discovery Sport | 109,161 | 81.0% | 77.7% | +3.2 | |
| 17. Mercedes GLA | 86,403 | 82.8% | 80.2% | +2.6 | |
| 18. Range Rover Velar | 32,716 | 84.3% | 82.2% | +2.1 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on X3s in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 81.2% of 106,562 X3 MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 74.8% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005 to 2022: ahead (+1.6 to +14.1 points).
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.
Coil spring: fractured or broken: 2.2% of X3 MOTs, against 2.1% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol X3s passed 87.3% first time and diesels 78.4%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 4.8 points above and diesels 7.6 points above.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Range Rover Evoque passed 83.4% first time, +5.2 points against comparable cars. The X3 passed 84.4%, +5.2 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the X3's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a BMW X3: 32 recorded model names, from "X3" to trims such as "X3 XDRIVE20D M SPORT MHEV AUTO".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.