2021 BMW 320: MOT pass rate and reliability

90.6% of 2021 BMW 320s pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,229 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 28,851 miles.

How the 2021 compares

  • Against all BMW 320s (88%, 39,982 tests): +2.6 points
  • Against all 2021 cars (90%): +0.6 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every BMW 320 model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2021 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the BMW 320:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2013 83.3% 227 82,917
2015 86.6% 246 76,452
2016 86.9% 3,240 80,406
2017 87.8% 13,890 71,349
2018 88.6% 8,990 59,294
2019 89.4% 6,973 43,123
2020 88.9% 4,128 34,765
2021 90.6% 1,229 28,851

What this means if you are buying a 2021 320

The 2021 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 2.6 points more often than the BMW 320 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 5-year-old car fails on

A 2021 car is 5 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is low mileage, which usually means light urban use. Short journeys are harder on batteries, brakes and exhausts than motorway miles, so do not assume low miles means low wear. On a 2021 BMW 320 the average at test was 28,851 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

2021 is the strongest year on record for this model at 90.6%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.

Nearby model years

All BMW 320 MOT data · Every model