BMW M6 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW M6 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW M6 passed on its first attempt in 89.0%, and its overall record sits +8.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW M6 in the 2023–2025 data: 4,152 tests across 12 model years (2005–2018). 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 M6 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW M6, 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 M6's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW M6 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW M6, each with how many of the model's 4,152 tests it was noted on.

• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 66 BMW M6 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 46 BMW M6 tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 37 BMW M6 tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 32 BMW M6 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Rectified) — noted on about 27 BMW M6 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 23 BMW M6 tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW M6 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW M6 model year on record is 2017 (93.5% across 461 tests), and the weakest is 2012 (86.8%). The gap between them is 6.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW M6 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 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 M6 Owners

These checks follow this BMW M6's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW M6.

• 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 exhaust and emissions — “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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW M6. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW M6 MOT & Reliability