Pass rate
80.6%
Around average — 8.1 pts ahead of the 72.5% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 108 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £17–£47
2006 BMW 330 MOT pass rate
- 2006
- typical 135,510 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Brakes
33.2% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
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
- 77.4%
- Typical mileage
- 136k mi
The 2006 BMW 330 MOT pass rate is 80.6% of its MOT tests — 8.1 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 33.2% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Brakes: 1.6× the national share
Brakes make up 33.2% of everything recorded on the 2006 BMW 330, against 20.9% nationally — 12.3 points above. Have the discs and pads measured rather than glanced at, and ask whether the handbrake holds on a slope.
- 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 72.5% and this one manages 80.6% — 8.1 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Based on a small sample. 108 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 2006 BMW 330 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.5%, so this figure is 8.1 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 77.4%. The median 2006 BMW 330 in this dataset had covered 135,510 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Diesel — 70% of tests, with a 84.2% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 77.8% of the time, April–September 84.4%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning", noted on 3.70% of tests.
- 108 recorded tests behind this page.
- 80.6% overall pass rate, 77.4% 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
- 108
- Typical mileage (median)
- 135,510 mi
- Make and model
- BMW 330
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
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 62% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Diesel is the most common here (70% of tests).
Where the BMW 330 is most common
Across all 330 model years on record (2001–2021): 37,730 BMW 330 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 66,456 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 1,453 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 1,453 | 89.7% |
| 2 | Nottingham (NG) | 986 | 89.9% |
| 3 | Peterborough (PE) | 866 | 90.0% |
| 4 | Sheffield (S) | 851 | 89.5% |
| 5 | Coventry (CV) | 823 | 91.6% |
| 6 | Leicester (LE) | 751 | 91.9% |
| 7 | London (NW) | 679 | 93.1% |
| 8 | Manchester (M) | 660 | 90.2% |
| 9 | London (E) | 638 | 93.0% |
| 10 | Bristol (BS) | 600 | 84.4% |
| 11 | Reading (RG) | 576 | 86.2% |
| 12 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 576 | 90.6% |
| 13 | Derby (DE) | 571 | 90.0% |
| 14 | Northampton (NN) | 560 | 85.7% |
| 15 | Hayes (UB) | 559 | 91.6% |
| 16 | Leeds (LS) | 557 | 89.4% |
| 17 | Doncaster (DN) | 534 | 90.8% |
| 18 | Milton Keynes (MK) | 531 | 87.1% |
| 19 | Warrington (WA) | 512 | 86.0% |
| 20 | Guildford (GU) | 510 | 88.5% |
The twenty areas with the most BMW 330 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the 330
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 27 | 74.1% |
| South West | 24 | 75.0% |
| South East | 18 | 94.4% |
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 2006 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 2006 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 3.7% of tests
“position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning”
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 suspension joints 1.9% of tests
“linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
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 2006 330 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £17–£47 — and 54% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £17–£47
- Cheapest common item: srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: has ply or cords exposed
- £45–£95
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 70%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 54%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 108 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 2006 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 2006 cars with a similar record
- Lexus IS250 80.5%
- Lexus RX400H 80.3%
- Subaru Impreza 80.2%
- Jaguar Xk 81.5%
- Audi Q7 81.7%
- Jaguar Xj 79.2%
Closest pass rates among 2006 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 2006 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 272 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 91 | 33.20% | 20.89% | +12.31 |
| Suspension | 56 | 20.40% | 20.98% | −0.58 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 34 | 12.40% | 12.21% | +0.19 |
| Tyres | 33 | 12.00% | 19.76% | −7.76 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 28 | 10.20% | 5.52% | +4.68 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11 | 4.00% | 5.57% | −1.57 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6 | 2.20% | 0.82% | +1.38 |
| Visibility | 5 | 1.80% | 4.97% | −3.17 |
| Steering | 5 | 1.80% | 2.57% | −0.77 |
| Non-component advisories | 3 | 1.10% | 4.18% | −3.08 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 3.7% | £5–25 |
| Headlamp aim too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.8% | £30–80 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.8% | £5–20 |
| Has ply or cords exposed Tyres | Major | 1.9% | £45–95 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Rectified | 1.9% | £30–80 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.9% | £30–80 |
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 1.9% | £5–25 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | Major | 1.9% | £18–45 |
| Position lamp light intensity obviously reduced Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 1.9% | £5–25 |
| Srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Major | 1.9% | £3–12 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes | Advisory | 21.3% | £25–70 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 19.4% | £200–700 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 18.5% | £45–110 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 17.6% | £80–180 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 13.9% | £45–95 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 12.0% | £180–450 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1 | 100.0% | 18,500 mi |
| 30-60k | 4 | 100.0% | 50,845 mi |
| 60-90k | 7 | 85.7% | 76,334 mi |
| 90-120k | 24 | 70.8% | 110,353 mi |
| 120k+ | 72 | 81.9% | 157,210 mi |
Source: 108 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.
2006 330 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2006 BMW 330?
80.6% of the 108 2006 BMW 330 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.5% for cars first used in 2006. First-attempt pass rate: 77.4%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2006 BMW 330?
The three most recorded items are position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning (3.70%), headlamp aim too low (2.78%), registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (2.78%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2006 BMW 330 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 81.9% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2006 BMW 330 in this dataset had covered 135,510 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2006 BMW 330?
Diesel: 84.2% pass rate across 76 tests. Petrol: 71.9% pass rate across 32 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2006 BMW 330 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 77.8% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 84.4%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.