Know Your MOT

BMW 3 Series vs BMW 316 Series: MOT reliability compared

Updated 05 September 2026.

24.9%
BMW 3 Series MOT failure rate, 5.9 pts lower than BMW 316 Series

BMW 3 Series is the more reliable MOT performer: 24.9% of BMW 3 Series MOTs fail versus 30.8% for BMW 316 Series, a 5.9 point gap.

MetricBMW 3 SeriesBMW 316 Series
MOT failure rate24.9%30.8%
Tests analysed12,881,0461,213,435
Most common failureSuspension (32.4%)Suspension (41.2%)

Questions and answers

Which is more reliable, BMW 3 Series or BMW 316 Series?

BMW 3 Series is the more reliable MOT performer: 24.9% of BMW 3 Series MOTs fail versus 30.8% for BMW 316 Series, a 5.9 point gap.

What is the MOT failure rate of the BMW 3 Series?

24.9% of BMW 3 Series MOT tests result in a failure, from 12,881,046 tests.

What is the MOT failure rate of the BMW 316 Series?

30.8% of BMW 316 Series MOT tests result in a failure, from 1,213,435 tests.

Compared here

BMW 3 Series common MOT failures and failure rateBMW 316 Series common MOT failures and failure rate