Does the BMW 3 Series fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

The BMW 3 Series records 12.63 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 20.77 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−8.14, 95% interval −8.19 to −8.09). It ranks 585 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a BMW 3 Series by registration

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the BMW 3 Series is “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements”, recorded 71,317 times in 2019–2024.

BMW 3 Series: most frequent lamps, reflectors and electrics defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wording	Items	Per 100 tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	71,317	2.29
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	61,385	1.97
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources	36,756	1.18
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED	33,436	1.07
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	24,529	0.79

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,110,401 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

If a BMW 3 Series gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

23.3% of BMW 3 Series MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,350 miles later (21,009 advisories followed).

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 21,009 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

Other pages for this model

Does the BMW 3 Series fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

If a BMW 3 Series gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

Related pages

Other pages for this model