BMW 6 Series 2018: MOT failure rate for its age
13.2% of 9,593 MOT tests of the BMW 6 Series first registered in 2018 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 91.2 (95% CI 86.1–96.2; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2018 BMW 6 Series fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 13.2 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 9593 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 86.1–96.2) | 91.2 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 9593 |
| Rank among this model's 17 build years | 3 | of 17 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 9593 |
| Tested in 2024 | 2319 | tests | median 51,019 miles | 2024 | 2319 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2018 BMW 6 Series fail at each age?
Cars built in 2018 were tested at ages 3 to 6 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2,505 | 13.4 | 12.1–14.8 | 14.3 | 93.2 |
| 4 | 2,408 | 12.4 | 11.2–13.8 | 13.3 | 93.3 |
| 5 | 2,361 | 13.2 | 11.9–14.6 | 14.5 | 90.9 |
| 6 | 2,319 | 13.9 | 12.5–15.4 | 15.9 | 87.4 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,593 (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 2018 BMW 6 Series?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2018 is tyres: 12.1 items per 100 first tests, against 11.6 across all build years of the BMW 6 Series. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2018 were tested at ages 3 to 6.
| Failure group | Built 2018, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 12.1 | 11.6 | 1,172 |
| Visibility | 3.4 | 5.6 | 327 |
| Road Wheels | 1.6 | 1.3 | 159 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.2 | 6.8 | 121 |
| Brakes | 1.2 | 5.2 | 115 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,725 (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 2018 compare with the years around it?
Among the 17 published build years of the BMW 6 Series, 2018 ranks 3 (1 = fails least for its age). 2017: index 100.0. 2019: index 75.4.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 106.2 | 102.1–110.4 | worse | 8,114 |
| 2005 | 106.7 | 102.8–110.7 | worse | 8,933 |
| 2006 | 103.5 | 99.7–107.3 | no different | 9,715 |
| 2007 | 95.3 | 91.3–99.4 | better | 8,095 |
| 2008 | 93.3 | 89.0–97.7 | better | 7,331 |
| 2009 | 94.9 | 88.7–101.1 | no different (rough estimate) | 3,896 |
| 2010 | 100.9 | 94.0–107.8 | no different (rough estimate) | 3,516 |
| 2011 | 96.1 | 89.6–102.6 | no different | 4,074 |
| 2012 | 100.9 | 96.5–105.3 | no different | 10,076 |
| 2013 | 104.4 | 100.3–108.5 | worse | 12,747 |
| 2014 | 104.7 | 100.5–108.9 | worse | 12,716 |
| 2015 | 97.3 | 93.1–101.6 | no different | 12,401 |
| 2016 | 101.0 | 96.4–105.6 | no different | 11,460 |
| 2017 | 100.0 | 94.1–106.0 | no different | 7,160 |
| 2018 | 91.2 | 86.1–96.2 | better | 9,593 |
| 2019 | 75.4 | 67.4–83.3 | better (rough estimate) | 3,274 |
| 2020 | 83.0 | 61.3–104.8 | no different (rough estimate) | 495 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 133,596 (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 6 Series 2018 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-6-series/2018/
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 6 Series 2004 · BMW 6 Series 2005 · BMW 6 Series 2006 · BMW 6 Series 2007 · BMW 6 Series 2008 · BMW 6 Series 2009 · BMW 6 Series 2010 · BMW 6 Series 2011 · BMW 6 Series 2012 · BMW 6 Series 2013 · BMW 6 Series 2014 · BMW 6 Series 2015 · BMW 6 Series 2016 · BMW 6 Series 2017 · BMW 6 Series 2019 · BMW 6 Series 2020 · BMW 6 Series in Finland · BMW 6 Series by postcode area · BMW 6 Series body, chassis and structure failures · BMW 6 Series brakes failures · BMW 6 Series vehicle identification failures · BMW 6 Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · BMW 6 Series noise, emissions and leaks failures · BMW 6 Series road wheels failures · BMW 6 Series seat belts and airbags failures · BMW 6 Series steering failures · BMW 6 Series suspension failures · BMW 6 Series tyres failures · BMW 6 Series visibility failures