How many BMW X3s 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 108,343 DVSA MOT tests.
Licensed in Great Britain120,460+3.8% on a year earlier
Declared SORN5,664Off the road, not taxed
MOT first-time pass rate, 202580.9%Cars of the same ages 76.4%
Rank by number licensedNo. 80of 1,159 models we cover
Licensed countAt its peakhighest since 2003
Average annual mileage8,137miles a year
How many BMW X3s are left in Great Britain?
There were 120,460 BMW X3s licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 5,664 declared off the road (SORN).
That is the most on the road at any year end since 2003.
BMW X3s licensed in Great Britain
Numbers are still rising: the latest count is the highest in this series.
In 2025, 80.9% of BMW X3 MOT tests were passed first time,
against 72.8% for all cars.
Cars of the same ages as the BMW X3s tested pass 76.4% of the time, so the BMW X3 does better than average for its age, by 4.5 points. In 2024 its pass rate was 79.8%.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: BMW X3 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 X3
All cars
MOT first-time pass rate by vehicle age, BMW X3 compared with all cars
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common reason a BMW X3 fails its MOT,
appearing on 33.7% of failed tests. A failed test can have defects in
more than one category, so shares add up to more than 100%.
4.9% of BMW X3 tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Most common MOT failure categories
Share of failed BMW X3 MOT tests with at least one defect in each category
The single most common reason a BMW X3 failed its MOT in 2025 was
“Coil spring: fractured or broken”, on 11.5% of 20,695 failed tests.
41.8% 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 X3 tests, 2025
Defect
Share of failed tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension
11.5%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres
10.6%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility
9.4%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres
8.6%
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres
7.4%
Side repeaters: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
7.4%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
6.4%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks
19 years of the BMW X3, 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 2011 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (73.3% passed first time) and the 2021 cars worst (88.6%).
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 X3 annual mileage
The average BMW X3 covers 8,137 miles a year,
worked out from odometer readings at consecutive MOT tests.
Of the 123,964 BMW X3s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 76.5% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc, and 21.5% have an engine of 2,901cc to 3,000cc. The share with an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc has grown from 68.8% in 2014 to 76.5%. Diesels made up 86.9% of those licensed in 2014 and 59.9% in 2025.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
BMW X3s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size
Share of those licensed
1,901cc to 2,000cc 94,855 licensed
76.5%
2,901cc to 3,000cc 26,712 licensed
21.5%
2,401cc to 2,500cc 1,263 licensed
1.0%
2,001cc to 2,100cc 1,103 licensed
0.9%
Other sizes 31 licensed
0.0%
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
57,605
46.5%
1,901–2,000cc
Hybrid
21,102
17.0%
2,901–3,000cc
Diesel
15,554
12.5%
1,901–2,000cc
Plug-in hybrid
9,876
8.0%
1,901–2,000cc
Petrol
6,272
5.1%
2,901–3,000cc
Petrol
5,781
4.7%
2,901–3,000cc
Hybrid
5,372
4.3%
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
BMW X3s licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year
Diesel
Hybrid
Petrol
Plug-in hybrid
2014
86.9%
0.0%
12.9%
0.0%
2015
88.6%
0.0%
11.3%
0.0%
2016
90.4%
0.0%
9.4%
0.0%
2017
91.7%
0.0%
8.2%
0.0%
2018
90.7%
0.0%
9.2%
0.0%
2019
87.8%
0.0%
12.2%
0.0%
2020
84.7%
1.4%
13.2%
0.7%
2021
76.7%
6.8%
13.7%
2.8%
2022
72.0%
11.3%
12.8%
3.9%
2023
68.2%
14.5%
12.1%
5.2%
2024
64.6%
17.6%
11.5%
6.3%
2025
59.9%
21.4%
10.7%
8.0%
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 X3 fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the BMW X3 from 2004, and still lists it. On the WLTP test (listings 2025 to 2026), official combined fuel economy for its petrol hybrid and diesel hybrid versions ranges from 35.3 to 47.9 mpg, with CO2 of 154 to 180 g/km; plug-in hybrid versions are rated at 94.2 to 100.9 mpg (weighted). On the older NEDC test (listings 2004 to 2018), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and diesel versions ranges from 23.3 to 60.1 mpg, with CO2 of 124 to 293 g/km.
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 hybrid
39.2–40.9
156–163
2025–2026
Euro 6
2
3.0 petrol hybrid
35.3–36.7
175–180
2025–2026
Euro 6
2
2.0 diesel hybrid
46.3–47.9
154–160
2025–2026
Euro 6
2
2.0 plug-in hybrid
94.2–100.9
64–69
2025–2026
Euro 6
2
Older NEDC figures, listed 2004 to 2018 (5 engine and fuel groups)
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2004 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 X3 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 “X3 Series F25, From November 2010”, “X3 Series E83”, “X3”, “X3 Series G01, From November 2017”. How we use VCA’s figures.
BMW X3 safety recalls
DVSA lists 50 safety recalls for the BMW X3 since 1992, the first in 2011. 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 X3. 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.
