Car statistics
BMW car statistics
How many BMW cars are on the road in Great Britain, every BMW model, its share of new cars over time and which fuels they use, how they do at the MOT and their safety recalls. Built from DVLA licensing records and DVSA MOT results.
- Licensed in Great Britain 2,049,837 +1.3% on a year earlier
- Rank among makes No. 4 6.1% of licensed cars
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 79.1% Cars of the same ages 73.5%
- New registrations in 2025 123,217 6.1% of all new cars
- Most common fuel Diesel 44.6% of those licensed
- Safety recalls since 1992 248 naming 30 BMW models
How many BMW cars are on the road?
There were 2,049,837 BMW cars licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 257,537 declared off the road (SORN). That is 6.1% of all licensed cars, or about 1 in 16, making BMW the No. 4 make on the road. That is the most on the road at any year end since 1994. Petrol makes up 34.4% of licensed BMW cars, against 54.6% of all cars.
BMW cars licensed in Great Britain
Numbers are still rising: the latest count is the highest in this series.
| Year | Licensed |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 440,248 |
| 1995 | 469,310 |
| 1996 | 515,743 |
| 1997 | 558,294 |
| 1998 | 597,865 |
| 1999 | 649,159 |
| 2000 | 693,349 |
| 2001 | 747,962 |
| 2002 | 802,684 |
| 2003 | 857,520 |
| 2004 | 918,799 |
| 2005 | 983,028 |
| 2006 | 1,034,839 |
| 2007 | 1,089,089 |
| 2008 | 1,134,754 |
| 2009 | 1,175,720 |
| 2010 | 1,215,614 |
| 2011 | 1,256,834 |
| 2012 | 1,314,714 |
| 2013 | 1,384,210 |
| 2014 | 1,445,006 |
| 2015 | 1,539,975 |
| 2016 | 1,643,470 |
| 2017 | 1,723,353 |
| 2018 | 1,794,654 |
| 2019 | 1,864,528 |
| 2020 | 1,888,561 |
| 2021 | 1,930,349 |
| 2022 | 1,966,969 |
| 2023 | 1,983,007 |
| 2024 | 2,007,453 |
| 2025 | 2,042,125 |
| 2026 | 2,049,837 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel type
BMW cars
All cars in Great Britain
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
BMW models
39 BMW models have a page of their own. The most common is the BMW 3 Series, with 448,681 licensed: 21.9% of all BMW cars on the road. Over the last year the IX added the most cars on the road (+14,428, +44.2%) and the 3 Series lost the most (−23,615, −5.0%). The totals above also count models too small for a page of their own.
| Model | Licensed | Change on a year | SORN | Main fuel | MOT pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Series | 448,681 | −5.0% | 114,735 | Diesel | 75.7% |
| 1 Series | 392,139 | −0.5% | 23,619 | Diesel | 75.9% |
| 5 Series | 187,690 | −4.8% | 39,140 | Diesel | 79.7% |
| 2 Series | 143,101 | +5.3% | 1,616 | Petrol | 83.5% |
| X1 | 129,225 | +9.2% | 2,549 | Diesel | 82.3% |
| X3 | 120,460 | +3.8% | 5,664 | Diesel | 80.9% |
| 4 Series | 108,456 | +0.1% | 2,529 | Diesel | 83.3% |
| X5 | 100,858 | +1.0% | 14,064 | Diesel | 80.3% |
| IX | 47,071 | +44.2% | 504 | Electric | 85.7% |
| I4 | 40,656 | +32.3% | 222 | Electric | 83.5% |
| Z4 | 31,948 | −1.7% | 7,451 | Petrol | 77.7% |
| M1 | 31,824 | −1.6% | 841 | Petrol | – |
| M3 | 27,778 | +4.5% | 9,412 | Petrol | 86.7% |
| X2 | 26,796 | +16.0% | 193 | Petrol | 86.0% |
| I3 | 24,784 | −0.7% | 494 | Electric | 86.9% |
| M2 | 24,380 | +4.8% | 765 | Petrol | 88.5% |
| M4 | 19,606 | +3.9% | 1,126 | Petrol | 87.7% |
| X4 | 19,534 | +1.4% | 309 | Diesel | 84.7% |
| IX3 | 19,440 | +1.8% | 72 | Electric | 85.3% |
| 6 Series | 18,659 | −5.0% | 4,722 | Diesel | 79.6% |
| 7 Series | 17,774 | +0.5% | 7,442 | Diesel | 84.4% |
| X6 | 15,947 | −1.5% | 1,456 | Diesel | 83.3% |
| I5 | 9,090 | +55.2% | 74 | Electric | – |
| Z3 | 6,563 | −6.0% | 8,788 | Petrol | 70.3% |
| 8 Series | 6,418 | +1.5% | 1,217 | Petrol | 84.6% |
| X7 | 6,161 | +27.5% | 199 | Hybrid | 85.7% |
| M5 | 5,864 | −3.1% | 2,655 | Petrol | 87.6% |
| M Series | 5,827 | +140.7% | 83 | Petrol | – |
| I8 | 1,947 | −3.3% | 256 | Plug-in hybrid | 89.8% |
| XM | 1,454 | +138.4% | 12 | Plug-in hybrid | – |
| M8 | 1,412 | −2.3% | 85 | Petrol | – |
| M6 | 1,049 | −5.0% | 594 | Petrol | 88.0% |
| Alpina | 881 | +6.4% | 93 | Petrol | – |
| 2002 | 440 | −2.2% | 388 | Petrol | – |
| M Roadster | 195 | −3.0% | 307 | Petrol | – |
| 3.0 CS | 186 | −1.1% | 167 | Petrol | – |
| M7 Series | 184 | −1.6% | 17 | Petrol | – |
| M Coupe | 182 | −6.2% | 295 | Petrol | – |
| Ci | 136 | −8.7% | 233 | Petrol | – |
MOT pass rates are first-time passes of cars aged three and over in 2025. A dash means too few tests, or a model DVSA’s records do not separate from vans.
New BMW cars registered each year
Registrations of new BMW cars in Great Britain peaked at 180,732 in 2016. In 2025, 123,217 were registered for the first time: 6.1% of all new cars, against 7.3% in 2019, BMW’s best year for share of new cars.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 88,964 |
| ’02 | 95,787 |
| ’03 | 96,912 |
| ’04 | 101,028 |
| ’05 | 109,706 |
| ’06 | 113,385 |
| ’07 | 119,079 |
| ’08 | 111,032 |
| ’09 | 97,177 |
| ’10 | 107,613 |
| ’11 | 115,045 |
| ’12 | 125,890 |
| ’13 | 134,337 |
| ’14 | 147,383 |
| ’15 | 165,812 |
| ’16 | 180,732 |
| ’17 | 173,451 |
| ’18 | 170,246 |
| ’19 | 168,117 |
| ’20 | 114,493 |
| ’21 | 115,333 |
| ’22 | 107,375 |
| ’23 | 111,138 |
| ’24 | 125,017 |
| ’25 | 123,217 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Share of all new cars
BMW’s first registrations as a share of every car registered for the first time in Great Britain that year.
| Year | Share of new cars |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 3.4% |
| 2002 | 3.6% |
| 2003 | 3.7% |
| 2004 | 3.9% |
| 2005 | 4.5% |
| 2006 | 4.8% |
| 2007 | 5.0% |
| 2008 | 5.3% |
| 2009 | 4.9% |
| 2010 | 5.4% |
| 2011 | 6.0% |
| 2012 | 6.3% |
| 2013 | 6.0% |
| 2014 | 6.0% |
| 2015 | 6.4% |
| 2016 | 6.8% |
| 2017 | 6.9% |
| 2018 | 7.3% |
| 2019 | 7.3% |
| 2020 | 7.1% |
| 2021 | 7.0% |
| 2022 | 6.7% |
| 2023 | 5.9% |
| 2024 | 6.4% |
| 2025 | 6.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
BMW MOT reliability
In 2025, 79.1% of MOT tests of BMW cars were passed first time, from 1,848,420 tests. Cars of the same ages pass 73.5% of the time, so BMW does better than average for the age of its cars, by 5.6 points. That ranks BMW No. 11 of the 50 makes with enough tests to compare. 6.8% of BMW tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Among BMW models with enough tests, the M5 does best for its age (+21.7 points against cars of the same ages) and the I4 does worst (−5.9 points). Average age at test for BMW cars: 10.4 years.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Same ages | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 | 3,827 | 87.6% | 65.9% | +21.7 pts |
| M3 | 16,315 | 86.7% | 66.8% | +19.9 pts |
| M6 | 1,260 | 88.0% | 69.2% | +18.8 pts |
| I8 | 2,142 | 89.8% | 77.2% | +12.6 pts |
| 7 Series | 18,316 | 84.4% | 72.3% | +12.1 pts |
| Z4 | 35,131 | 77.7% | 66.2% | +11.5 pts |
| 6 Series | 21,671 | 79.6% | 68.7% | +10.9 pts |
| Z3 | 11,195 | 70.3% | 61.0% | +9.3 pts |
| M2 | 3,821 | 88.5% | 79.7% | +8.8 pts |
| X6 | 15,973 | 83.3% | 74.8% | +8.5 pts |
| 5 Series | 204,690 | 79.7% | 71.7% | +8.0 pts |
| M4 | 13,566 | 87.7% | 80.5% | +7.2 pts |
| X5 | 92,581 | 80.3% | 73.6% | +6.7 pts |
| 3 Series | 471,017 | 75.7% | 69.8% | +5.9 pts |
| 4 Series | 108,454 | 83.3% | 78.0% | +5.3 pts |
| X1 | 112,155 | 82.3% | 77.1% | +5.2 pts |
| I3 | 26,176 | 86.9% | 82.3% | +4.6 pts |
| X3 | 108,343 | 80.9% | 76.4% | +4.5 pts |
| 1 Series | 381,377 | 75.9% | 72.1% | +3.8 pts |
| X4 | 18,745 | 84.7% | 81.2% | +3.5 pts |
| 2 Series | 128,366 | 83.5% | 80.4% | +3.1 pts |
| 8 Series | 6,736 | 84.6% | 83.8% | +0.8 pts |
| X2 | 21,287 | 86.0% | 85.3% | +0.7 pts |
| X7 | 2,556 | 85.7% | 87.2% | −1.5 pts |
| IX3 | 9,481 | 85.3% | 88.9% | −3.6 pts |
| IX | 5,581 | 85.7% | 89.3% | −3.6 pts |
| I4 | 6,690 | 83.5% | 89.4% | −5.9 pts |
Every make and model ranked by MOT pass rate
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
BMW safety recalls
DVSA lists 248 safety recalls naming a BMW car model since 1992, across 30 models. 177 were launched from 2016 to 2025, ranking BMW No. 2 of the makes with recalls in those years. A recall naming several BMW models counts once.
Recalls launched each year, 2006 to 2025
| Year | Recalls |
|---|---|
| ’06 | 4 |
| ’07 | 2 |
| ’08 | 4 |
| ’09 | 2 |
| ’10 | 3 |
| ’11 | 4 |
| ’12 | 7 |
| ’13 | 7 |
| ’14 | 3 |
| ’15 | 5 |
| ’16 | 7 |
| ’17 | 12 |
| ’18 | 17 |
| ’19 | 16 |
| ’20 | 25 |
| ’21 | 26 |
| ’22 | 18 |
| ’23 | 16 |
| ’24 | 23 |
| ’25 | 17 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Models with the most recalls
| Model | Recalls |
|---|---|
| BMW X5 | 68 |
| BMW 3 Series | 67 |
| BMW 5 Series | 66 |
| BMW X3 | 50 |
| BMW 7 Series | 46 |
| BMW X1 | 40 |
| BMW 1 Series | 39 |
| BMW 2 Series | 39 |
| BMW X6 | 31 |
| BMW 6 Series | 29 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Latest BMW recalls
- 1 Jul 2026 Reworking the PVC Seam in the Rear Light Housing BMW 2 Series
- 4 Jun 2026 Check the Head Airbag Threaded Connection; Rework if Necessary BMW IX3
- 3 Jun 2026 Replacing the Convenience Charging Electronics BMW IX3
- 17 Mar 2026 Checking and re-securing the air-conditioning wiring harness BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW M5
- 2 Mar 2026 Replace the Engine Starter Motor BMW X3, BMW X4, BMW X5, BMW 3 Series, BMW 4 Series, BMW Z4, BMW 5 Series, BMW 6 Series, BMW 2 Series
Models mostly registered as vans are left out, as on our recalls hub. A recall applies to vehicles built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every BMW. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. How we match recalls to models.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Makes of a similar size
| Rank | Make | Licensed | Change on a year | Main fuel | MOT vs same ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford | 3,636,157 | −2.6% | Petrol | −2.4 pts |
| 2 | Volkswagen | 2,919,033 | +1.4% | Petrol | +1.6 pts |
| 3 | Vauxhall | 2,514,958 | −4.5% | Petrol | −5.0 pts |
| 4 | BMW | 2,049,837 | +1.3% | Diesel | +5.6 pts |
| 5 | Audi | 1,982,111 | +1.7% | Petrol | +4.7 pts |
| 6 | Toyota | 1,777,976 | +2.0% | Petrol | +2.8 pts |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz | 1,732,633 | +1.0% | Diesel | +3.5 pts |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 37,339,879 car records (licensed and SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
| Registered for the first time | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | 2001 to 2025 | – | 15 September 2026 |
| MOT results | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 29,122,953 car MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
| Safety recalls | Vehicle safety recalls Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | January 1992 to September 2026 | 7,495 road vehicle recalls (R/) | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Make totals count every car DVLA records under the make, including models too small for a page of their own. The rank is among all 525 makes on the record.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
- First registrations count cars registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
- MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over; retests are excluded. The same-ages figure is what all cars would score with this make’s mix of ages.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.