Pass rate, every year
1,083 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+13.1 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
1,083 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+13.1 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2021 94.8%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2021 page →
Worst year to buy
2022 93.9%
0.9 points below the 2021 peak. See the 2022 page →
The BMW X3 M40I MOT pass rate is 94.1%, +13.1 percentage points above the UK average. That is 1,083 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2021 and 2022. This page lists the most common BMW X3 M40I MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
The BMW X3 M40I passed on its first attempt in 93.7%, and its overall record sits +13.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW X3 M40I in the 2023–2025 data: 1,083 tests across 2 model years (2021–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 1,083 |
| Overall pass rate | 94.1% |
| Passed on first attempt | 93.7% |
| Average mileage at test | 26,090 mi |
| Model years covered | 2021–2022 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +13.1 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW X3 M40I, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 55% |
| Visibility | 26% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2% |
| Road Wheels | 1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1% |
Shares are over the BMW X3 M40I's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 55% of the recorded BMW X3 M40I failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.8%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.5%), "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (0.8%) among the BMW X3 M40I's tyres faults.
Around 26% of the recorded BMW X3 M40I failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.7%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.5%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.1%) among the BMW X3 M40I's visibility faults.
Around 11% of the recorded BMW X3 M40I failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Side repeaters not working" (0.6%), "Headlamp aim too high" (0.3%) among the BMW X3 M40I's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW X3 M40I, each with how many of the model's 1,083 tests it was noted on.
The strongest BMW X3 M40I model year on record is 2021 (94.8% across 268 tests), and the weakest is 2022 (93.9%). The gap between them is 0.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 X3 M40I | 815 | 93.9% |
| 2021 X3 M40I | 268 | 94.8% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this BMW X3 M40I's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW X3 M40I.
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 tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
the wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW X3 M40I. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
94.1% of the 1,083 recorded BMW X3 M40I MOT tests ended in a pass, +13.1 percentage points above the national average. 93.7% of those passed on the first attempt.
2021 is the strongest BMW X3 M40I year on record at 94.8%, while 2022 is the weakest at 93.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded BMW X3 M40I failures are "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.