How many BMW 3 Series are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records and 471,017 DVSA MOT tests.
Licensed in Great Britain448,681−5.0% on a year earlier
Declared SORN114,735Off the road, not taxed
MOT first-time pass rate, 202575.7%Cars of the same ages 69.8%
Rank by number licensedNo. 10of 1,159 models we cover
Peak year2013647,839 licensed
Average annual mileage7,655miles a year
How many BMW 3 Series are left in Great Britain?
There were 448,681 BMW 3 Series licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 114,735 declared off the road (SORN).
That is 30.7% fewer than the peak of 647,839 in 2013.
BMW 3 Series licensed in Great Britain
Numbers peaked in 2013 and have fallen every year since, as older cars are scrapped faster than new ones are registered.
43 versions of the BMW 3 Series have their own page.
The figures above include every version; each version page covers only the cars DVLA records
under that version’s name.
In 2025, 75.7% of BMW 3 Series MOT tests were passed first time,
against 72.8% for all cars.
Cars of the same ages as the BMW 3 Series tested pass 69.8% of the time, so the BMW 3 Series does better than average for its age, by 5.9 points. In 2024 its pass rate was 75.0%.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: BMW 3 Series vs all cars
Comparing like with like: each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older average age does not count against a model.
0%
50%
100%
3 years
4–5 years
6–7 years
8–10 years
11–14 years
15–19 years
20+ years
BMW 3 Series
All cars
MOT first-time pass rate by vehicle age, BMW 3 Series compared with all cars
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common reason a BMW 3 Series fails its MOT,
appearing on 35.3% of failed tests. A failed test can have defects in
more than one category, so shares add up to more than 100%.
7.9% of BMW 3 Series tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Most common MOT failure categories
Share of failed BMW 3 Series MOT tests with at least one defect in each category
Most common BMW 3 Series MOT defects and advisories
The single most common reason a BMW 3 Series failed its MOT in 2025 was
“Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak”, on 10.4% of 114,242 failed tests.
51.4% of tests ended with at least one advisory, a problem to watch that did not fail the test; the most common was “Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge”.
The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. A test can fail for more than one.
Most common specific MOT defects on failed BMW 3 Series tests, 2025
Defect
Share of failed tests
Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension
10.4%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres
10.0%
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
32 years of the BMW 3 Series, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2007 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (68.1% passed first time) and the 1995 cars worst (66.8%).
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left:
licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025.
Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great
Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
BMW 3 Series annual mileage
The average BMW 3 Series covers 7,655 miles a year,
worked out from odometer readings at consecutive MOT tests.
Average annual mileage by age
0
5k
10k
15k
10,543
4–5 years
9,286
6–7 years
8,778
8–10 years
7,777
11–14 years
6,233
15–19 years
3,761
20+ years
Average annual mileage of a BMW 3 Series by vehicle age
Of the 472,393 BMW 3 Series licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 73.9% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc, and 16.2% have an engine of 2,901cc to 3,000cc. The share with an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc has grown from 56.2% in 2014 to 73.9%. Petrols made up 50.4% of those licensed in 2014 and 32.9% in 2025.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
BMW 3 Series licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size
Share of those licensed
1,901cc to 2,000cc 349,304 licensed
73.9%
2,901cc to 3,000cc 76,547 licensed
16.2%
2,401cc to 2,500cc 13,471 licensed
2.9%
2,001cc to 2,100cc 11,037 licensed
2.3%
2,101cc to 2,200cc 4,428 licensed
0.9%
1,701cc to 1,800cc 3,329 licensed
0.7%
1,801cc to 1,900cc 2,203 licensed
0.5%
Other sizes 12,074 licensed
2.6%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size
Fuel
Licensed
Share
1,901–2,000cc
Diesel
192,895
40.8%
1,901–2,000cc
Petrol
95,614
20.2%
1,901–2,000cc
Plug-in hybrid
54,718
11.6%
2,901–3,000cc
Diesel
52,155
11.0%
2,901–3,000cc
Petrol
23,476
5.0%
2,401–2,500cc
Petrol
13,205
2.8%
2,001–2,100cc
Diesel
9,464
2.0%
1,901–2,000cc
Hybrid
6,070
1.3%
1,401–1,500cc
Petrol
5,196
1.1%
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
BMW 3 Series licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year
Diesel
Petrol
Plug-in hybrid
Hybrid
2014
49.5%
50.4%
0.0%
0.0%
2015
53.2%
46.7%
0.0%
0.0%
2016
56.0%
43.4%
0.5%
0.0%
2017
58.3%
40.2%
1.5%
0.0%
2018
59.8%
37.9%
2.2%
0.0%
2019
60.5%
36.5%
2.9%
0.0%
2020
59.9%
35.3%
4.5%
0.3%
2021
58.3%
34.5%
6.3%
0.9%
2022
57.6%
33.7%
7.6%
1.1%
2023
56.7%
33.1%
9.0%
1.2%
2024
55.2%
33.1%
10.3%
1.4%
2025
54.0%
32.9%
11.6%
1.5%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN
excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page.
How we use engine sizes.
BMW 3 Series fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the BMW 3 Series from 2000, when the data begins, and still lists it. On the WLTP test (listings 2025 to 2026), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and petrol hybrid versions ranges from 32.8 to 43.5 mpg, with CO2 of 147 to 193 g/km; plug-in hybrid versions are rated at 104.6 to 353.1 mpg (weighted). On the older NEDC test (listings 2000 to 2018), official combined fuel economy for its petrol, diesel and petrol hybrid versions ranges from 20.8 to 74.3 mpg, with CO2 of 99 to 328 g/km; plug-in hybrid versions are rated at 134.5 to 148.7 mpg (weighted).
Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2025 to 2026
Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2025 to 2026
Engine and fuel
Combined mpg
CO2 g/km
Listed
Euro standard
Versions
2.0 petrol
40.3–43.5
147–159
2025–2026
Euro 6
10
3.0 petrol hybrid
32.8–40.4
159–193
2025–2026
Euro 6
4
2.0 plug-in hybrid
104.6–353.1
19–60
2025–2026
Euro 6
15
Older NEDC figures, listed 2000 to 2018 (17 engine and fuel groups)
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2018
Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in
real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
NEDC figures (in VCA’s data until September 2018) and WLTP figures (from the 2019 guide)
come from different tests, so they are shown separately and should not be compared.
Plug-in hybrid figures are VCA’s weighted values, which count driving on battery power as
well as on fuel.
VCA’s data has no BMW versions for 2019 to 2024, so the years listed may leave out years the BMW 3 Series was on sale.
Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in
VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was
listed.
Matched from VCA’s model names “3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93”, “3 Series E46”, “3 Series Saloon F30, From February 2012”, “3 Series Touring F31, from September 2012”. How we use VCA’s figures.
BMW 3 Series safety recalls
DVSA lists 67 safety recalls for the BMW 3 Series since 1992. The most recent was launched on 2 March 2026.
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
Launched 2 March 2026DVSA recall R/2026/054Manufacturer ref. 0012650600/0012660600/0012670600/0012680600/0012770600/0012790600
Defect
The Safety Recall relates to the engine starter motor. The fault relates to the RSW22 starter RWT (reinforced water tightness). It was found that with RWT starters an increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can cause the growth of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn may increase the relay contact resistance resulting in false starts or even causing short circuits and possibly a thermal reaction. In case of a short circuit the possibility of a thermal event cannot be excluded. This may happen while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibrations causing a short circuit due to moving deposits.
Remedy
On the affected vehicles the starter motor will be replaced with a variant by another supplier with a different design. Until the repair has been completed it is recommended to not leave the vehicle running unattended after starting the engine.
A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every BMW 3 Series. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or
incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a
dealer. How we match recalls to models.
Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
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 vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over in 2025; retests are excluded. Age is rounded to the nearest year.
DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
