BMW 3 Series 2013: MOT failure rate for its age
22.8% of 216,834 MOT tests of the BMW 3 Series first registered in 2013 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 100.7 (95% CI 99.8–101.6; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2013 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 22.8 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 216834 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 99.8–101.6) | 100.7 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 216834 |
| Rank among this model's 23 build years | 10 | of 23 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 216834 |
| Tested in 2024 | 34298 | tests | median 100,908 miles | 2024 | 34298 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2013 BMW 3 Series fail at each age?
Cars built in 2013 were tested at ages 6 to 11 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 38,575 | 19.6 | 19.2–20 | 17.3 | 113.3 |
| 7 | 35,821 | 20.9 | 20.5–21.3 | 18.9 | 110.5 |
| 8 | 36,554 | 21.9 | 21.5–22.3 | 21.3 | 102.7 |
| 9 | 36,142 | 23.6 | 23.1–24 | 23.7 | 99.4 |
| 10 | 35,444 | 24.5 | 24–24.9 | 26.5 | 92.5 |
| 11 | 34,298 | 26.6 | 26.1–27.1 | 28.6 | 92.9 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 216,834 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 2013 BMW 3 Series?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2013 is tyres: 10.8 items per 100 first tests, against 10.8 across all build years of the BMW 3 Series. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2013 were tested at ages 6 to 11.
| Failure group | Built 2013, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 10.8 | 10.8 | 23,385 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.2 | 12.6 | 22,157 |
| Brakes | 5.9 | 12.8 | 12,711 |
| Visibility | 5.8 | 7.8 | 12,487 |
| Suspension | 4.8 | 11.7 | 10,398 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 216,834 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 2013 compare with the years around it?
Among the 23 published build years of the BMW 3 Series, 2013 ranks 10 (1 = fails least for its age). 2012: index 109.5. 2014: index 100.2.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 103.6 | 99.9–107.3 | no different | 7,363 |
| 1999 | 107.9 | 105.4–110.5 | worse | 16,191 |
| 2000 | 105.6 | 103.5–107.7 | worse | 23,772 |
| 2001 | 105.9 | 104.4–107.4 | worse | 46,509 |
| 2002 | 102.6 | 101.4–103.7 | worse | 76,299 |
| 2003 | 102.7 | 101.7–103.7 | worse | 98,778 |
| 2004 | 105.8 | 104.7–106.8 | worse | 94,649 |
| 2005 | 100.7 | 99.7–101.7 | no different | 112,280 |
| 2006 | 94.7 | 93.9–95.5 | better | 161,180 |
| 2007 | 94.2 | 93.4–94.9 | better | 208,408 |
| 2008 | 98.1 | 97.3–98.9 | better | 174,203 |
| 2009 | 102.8 | 102.0–103.7 | worse | 162,273 |
| 2010 | 103.6 | 102.8–104.5 | worse | 181,892 |
| 2011 | 103.5 | 102.7–104.4 | worse | 191,518 |
| 2012 | 109.5 | 108.6–110.4 | worse | 212,613 |
| 2013 | 100.7 | 99.8–101.6 | no different | 216,834 |
| 2014 | 100.2 | 99.2–101.1 | no different | 200,145 |
| 2015 | 90.6 | 89.6–91.6 | better | 195,919 |
| 2016 | 87.0 | 86.0–88.1 | better | 197,463 |
| 2017 | 85.5 | 84.3–86.7 | better | 168,528 |
| 2018 | 92.5 | 90.9–94.1 | better | 102,875 |
| 2019 | 106.6 | 104.5–108.6 | worse | 79,084 |
| 2020 | 122.4 | 119.5–125.4 | worse | 45,081 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,973,857 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). BMW 3 Series 2013 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/bmw-3-series/2013/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
BMW 3 Series 1998 · BMW 3 Series 1999 · BMW 3 Series 2000 · BMW 3 Series 2001 · BMW 3 Series 2002 · BMW 3 Series 2003 · BMW 3 Series 2004 · BMW 3 Series 2005 · BMW 3 Series 2006 · BMW 3 Series 2007 · BMW 3 Series 2008 · BMW 3 Series 2009 · BMW 3 Series 2010 · BMW 3 Series 2011 · BMW 3 Series 2012 · BMW 3 Series 2014 · BMW 3 Series 2015 · BMW 3 Series 2016 · BMW 3 Series 2017 · BMW 3 Series 2018 · BMW 3 Series 2019 · BMW 3 Series 2020 · BMW 3 Series in Finland · BMW 3 Series in the Netherlands · BMW 3 Series in Norway · BMW 3 Series by postcode area · BMW 3 Series body, chassis and structure failures · BMW 3 Series brakes failures · BMW 3 Series vehicle identification failures · BMW 3 Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · BMW 3 Series noise, emissions and leaks failures · BMW 3 Series road wheels failures · BMW 3 Series seat belts and airbags failures · BMW 3 Series steering failures · BMW 3 Series suspension failures · BMW 3 Series tyres failures · BMW 3 Series visibility failures