Pass rate
78.9%
Around average — 6.0 pts ahead of the 72.9% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 76 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £32–£101
2002 BMW 330 MOT pass rate
- 2002
- typical 91,545 mi
Only 76 tests of this exact model and year are in the DVSA data, below the 100 we ask for before a page goes in the index. The figures are still shown, because they are the only ones there are.
Most common fault
Suspension
23.0% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2019 89.6% pass
- Avoid 2003 73.8% pass
Across the 18 years on record, a spread of 15.8 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 74.6%
- Typical mileage
- 92k mi
The 2002 BMW 330 MOT pass rate is 78.9% of its MOT tests — 6.0 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 23.0% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how BMW 330 does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 2.3× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 12.7% of everything recorded on the 2002 BMW 330, against 5.5% nationally — 7.2 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 23.0%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- Beats its own age and mileage. Once you allow for how old and how far these cars have been driven, the expected pass rate is 72.9% and this one manages 78.9% — 6.0 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Based on a small sample. 76 tests back this page. That is enough to publish and to index, not enough to treat the decimal places as precise — read the pattern, not the second digit.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a BMW 330? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2002 BMW 330 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.9%, so this figure is 6.0 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 74.6%. The median 2002 BMW 330 in this dataset had covered 91,545 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Petrol — 83% of tests, with a 77.8% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 72.7% of the time, April–September 87.5%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Headlamp lens slightly defective", noted on 5.26% of tests.
- 76 recorded tests behind this page.
- 78.9% overall pass rate, 74.6% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the BMW 330, the average is 88.9% — best year 2019 (89.6%), worst 2003 (73.8%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 76
- Typical mileage (median)
- 91,545 mi
- Make and model
- BMW 330
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Headlight Bulb
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 330 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 58% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (83% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the 330
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South West | 22 | 72.7% |
| South East | 19 | 89.5% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2002 330
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2002 330
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 5.3% of tests
“headlamp lens slightly defective”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
Check the exhaust and emissions 4.0% of tests
“catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
-
Check the suspension joints 2.6% of tests
“ball joint excessively worn”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2002 330 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £32–£101 — and 36% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £32–£101
- Cheapest common item: individual direction indicators lens defective
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd…
- £60–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 60%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 36%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 76 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 330, side by side
18 model years on record, from 2001 to 2021. Across them the pass rate runs from 73.8% to 89.6% — a spread of 15.8 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2001 84.4% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2002 78.9%headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2003 73.8% shock absorbers has a serious…
- 2005 80.2% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2006 80.6% position lamp with a multiple…
- 2007 74.0% position lamp with a multiple…
- 2008 86.7% shock absorbers has a serious…
- 2011 81.9% shock absorbers has a serious…
- 2012 82.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2013 85.5% shock absorbers has a serious…
- 2014 82.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2015 87.7% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 89.0% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2017 89.2% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 89.5% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 89.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2020 88.1% has a cut in excess of the…
- 2021 89.3% has a cut in excess of the…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2002 BMW 330 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2002 cars with a similar record
- Jaguar XK8 79.8%
- Porsche Boxster 80.3%
- Land Rover Range Rover 77.4%
- Subaru Impreza 80.5%
- Lexus IS200 77.2%
- MG Tf 77.1%
Closest pass rates among 2002 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2002 BMW 330 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 125 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 29 | 23.00% | 20.98% | +2.02 |
| Brakes | 27 | 21.40% | 20.89% | +0.51 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18 | 14.30% | 12.21% | +2.09 |
| Tyres | 16 | 12.70% | 19.76% | −7.06 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 16 | 12.70% | 5.52% | +7.18 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 7 | 5.60% | 1.76% | +3.84 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5 | 4.00% | 5.57% | −1.57 |
| Visibility | 4 | 3.20% | 4.97% | −1.77 |
| Non-component advisories | 2 | 1.60% | 4.18% | −2.58 |
| Steering | 1 | 0.80% | 2.57% | −1.77 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 5.3% | £5–25 |
| Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £60–250 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 2.6% | £18–45 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 2.6% | £25–65 |
| Door condition cannot be opened from outside the vehicle Body, chassis, structure | Major | 2.6% | £80–250 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.6% | £30–80 |
| Individual direction indicators lens defective which has no effect on emitted light Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.6% | £3–12 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Rectified | 2.6% | £3–12 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 2.6% | £80–200 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | Major | 1.3% | £18–45 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 14.5% | £200–700 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 13.2% | £45–95 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 11.8% | £40–150 |
| Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes | Advisory | 9.2% | £25–70 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 9.2% | £80–180 |
| Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak Suspension | Advisory | 7.9% | £30–75 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3 | 66.7% | 22,951 mi |
| 30-60k | 10 | 80.0% | 50,008 mi |
| 60-90k | 24 | 75.0% | 78,134 mi |
| 90-120k | 16 | 87.5% | 104,414 mi |
| 120k+ | 23 | 78.3% | 153,328 mi |
Source: 76 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2002 330 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2002 BMW 330?
78.9% of the 76 2002 BMW 330 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.9% for cars first used in 2002. First-attempt pass rate: 74.6%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2002 BMW 330?
The three most recorded items are headlamp lens slightly defective (5.26%), catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (3.95%), ball joint excessively worn (2.63%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2002 BMW 330 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 66.7% of the time, falling to 78.3% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2002 BMW 330 in this dataset had covered 91,545 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2002 BMW 330?
Petrol: 77.8% pass rate across 63 tests. Diesel: 84.6% pass rate across 13 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2002 BMW 330 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 72.7% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 87.5%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.