BMW 6 Series MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 6 Series MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 6 Series passed on its first attempt in 86.5%, and its overall record sits +6.8 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 6 Series in the 2023–2025 data: 16,605 tests across 14 model years (2005–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common BMW 6 Series MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 6 Series, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the BMW 6 Series's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 6 Series DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 6 Series, each with how many of the model's 16,605 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 375 BMW 6 Series tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 264 BMW 6 Series tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 252 BMW 6 Series tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 143 BMW 6 Series tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 141 BMW 6 Series tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 114 BMW 6 Series tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 6 Series Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 6 Series model year on record is 2019 (91.2% across 3,399 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (80.0%). The gap between them is 11.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW 6 Series reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.7 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 6 Series Owners

These checks follow this BMW 6 Series's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 6 Series.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the lights — “malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”

  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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 6 Series. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 6 Series MOT & Reliability