Car statistics
BMW 3 Series 323i statistics
How many BMW 3 Series 323is are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the 323i compares with other versions of the BMW 3 Series. Built from DVLA licensing records, with MOT results for the BMW 3 Series.
- Licensed in Great Britain 1,067 −4.7% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 2,310 Off the road, not taxed
- Still registered 21.5% Other BMW 3 Series versions 13.3%
- Peak year 1999 15,472 licensed
- Share of BMW 3 Series 0.6% of those licensed or SORN
- Declared off the road 68.4% of those still registered are SORN
How many BMW 3 Series 323is are left in Great Britain?
There were 1,067 BMW 3 Series 323is licensed in Great Britain at the end of June 2026, and a further 2,310 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 93.1% lower than its peak of 15,472 in 1999. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 68.4% of those still registered are off the road.
BMW 3 Series 323is licensed and SORN in Great Britain
This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.
| Year | Licensed | Declared SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 9,847 | – |
| 1995 | 9,652 | – |
| 1996 | 10,917 | – |
| 1997 | 13,500 | – |
| 1998 | 15,025 | – |
| 1999 | 15,472 | – |
| 2000 | 14,570 | – |
| 2001 | 13,447 | – |
| 2002 | 12,486 | – |
| 2003 | 11,964 | – |
| 2004 | 11,509 | – |
| 2005 | 11,141 | – |
| 2006 | 10,639 | – |
| 2007 | 10,237 | 748 |
| 2008 | 9,518 | 896 |
| 2009 | 8,868 | 917 |
| 2010 | 8,027 | 1,065 |
| 2011 | 6,886 | 1,292 |
| 2012 | 5,830 | 1,274 |
| 2013 | 4,799 | 1,487 |
| 2014 | 3,953 | 1,545 |
| 2015 | 3,361 | 1,745 |
| 2016 | 2,794 | 1,944 |
| 2017 | 2,344 | 2,071 |
| 2018 | 1,982 | 2,210 |
| 2019 | 1,661 | 2,315 |
| 2020 | 1,484 | 2,343 |
| 2021 | 1,333 | 2,394 |
| 2022 | 1,262 | 2,408 |
| 2023 | 1,100 | 2,485 |
| 2024 | 1,004 | 2,406 |
| 2025 | 970 | 2,400 |
| 2026 | 1,067 | 2,310 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
How many BMW 3 Series 323is have survived?
21.5% of BMW 3 Series 323is are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the BMW 3 Series from the same era, the figure is 13.3%, so BMW 3 Series 323is are 1.6 times as likely to have survived.
Share still registered (licensed or SORN)
Compared with 36 other versions of the BMW 3 Series from the same era.
| Version | Share still registered |
|---|---|
| BMW 3 Series 323i | 21.5% |
| Other BMW 3 Series versions of the same age | 13.3% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
BMW 3 Series 323i engine sizes and fuel types
Of the 996 BMW 3 Series 323is licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 82.7% have an engine of 2,401cc to 2,500cc, and 14.8% have an engine of 2,301cc to 2,400cc. The share with an engine of 2,401cc to 2,500cc has fallen from 95.4% in 2014 to 82.7%.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
| Engine size | Share of those licensed |
|---|---|
| 2,401cc to 2,500cc 824 licensed | 82.7% |
| 2,301cc to 2,400cc 147 licensed | 14.8% |
| 2,501cc to 2,600cc 13 licensed | 1.3% |
| Other sizes 12 licensed | 1.2% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
| Engine size | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,401–2,500cc | Petrol | 823 | 82.6% |
| 2,301–2,400cc | Petrol | 147 | 14.8% |
| 2,501–2,600cc | Petrol | 13 | 1.3% |
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
| Year | 2,401–2,500cc | 2,301–2,400cc | 2,501–2,600cc |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 95.4% | 2.5% | 1.8% |
| 2015 | 94.8% | 3.2% | 1.6% |
| 2016 | 94.3% | 3.4% | 1.8% |
| 2017 | 94.2% | 3.7% | 1.8% |
| 2018 | 93.8% | 4.0% | 1.7% |
| 2019 | 92.9% | 4.4% | 2.1% |
| 2020 | 92.7% | 5.2% | 1.4% |
| 2021 | 92.0% | 6.0% | 1.2% |
| 2022 | 90.1% | 7.9% | 1.2% |
| 2023 | 87.5% | 10.1% | 1.2% |
| 2024 | 85.3% | 12.5% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 82.7% | 14.8% | 1.3% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
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. This covers cars DVLA records under this version’s name only; the BMW 3 Series page covers every version. How we use engine sizes.
BMW 3 Series MOT reliability
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 pass 69.8% of the time, so the BMW 3 Series does better than average for its age, by 5.9 points.
DVSA's MOT results name the model, not the version, so these figures cover all BMW 3 Series tested, the 323i among them. For the full breakdown, including defects in detail and results year by year, see the BMW 3 Series page.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: BMW 3 Series vs all cars
Each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older fleet does not count against the model.
| Vehicle age | BMW 3 Series | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 85.4% | 89.5% |
| 4–5 years | 87.0% | 87.6% |
| 6–7 years | 86.4% | 83.0% |
| 8–10 years | 82.2% | 75.7% |
| 11–14 years | 71.6% | 65.5% |
| 15–19 years | 67.6% | 58.0% |
| 20+ years | 68.3% | 61.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failure categories
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common reason a BMW 3 Series fails. A failed test can have defects in more than one category.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 35.3% |
| Tyres | 29.5% |
| Suspension | 28.6% |
| Brakes | 23.7% |
| Visibility | 13.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Other versions of the BMW 3 Series
Versions of the BMW 3 Series with their own page. The BMW 3 Series page covers all 457,570 licensed, whatever the version.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 3,377 BMW 3 Series 323i records (licensed and SORN) | 2 October 2026 |
| MOT results (whole model) | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 471,017 MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
- 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, from 2007.
- This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “323I”, “323I AUTO”, “323 I”, “323 I AUTO”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
- Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.