Car statistics by year

2005 BMW X3

BMW X3 cars first registered in 2005: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2005, so like is set against like.

A year of the BMW X3. “2005” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
2,008 MOT tests of 2005 BMW X3 cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 62.5% All 2005 cars 57.7%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 140,800 miles; all 2005 cars 103,800
  • Left at the end of 2025 2,415 43.0% of the 5,613 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 9.8% All 2005 cars 9.9%
  • Tests with an advisory 70.7% All 2005 cars 70.3%
  • MOT tests in 2025 2,008 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2005 BMW X3s do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 20 years old, 62.5% of 2005 BMW X3 MOT tests were passed first time, against 57.7% for all cars first registered in 2005. 2005 BMW X3s did better than average for their age, by 4.8 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 60.2% of the time (all 2005 cars 56.6%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: BMW X3 vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each BMW X3 bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, BMW X3 compared with all cars
First registered BMW X3All cars
’04 63.4%57.9%
’05 62.5%57.7%
’06 64.6%56.9%
’07 67.1%57.3%
’08 67.7%57.0%
’09 69.6%58.2%
’10 70.6%59.3%
’11 73.3%61.5%
’12 71.1%63.6%
’13 72.3%66.0%
’14 73.5%69.1%
’15 78.4%72.6%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2005 BMW X3

Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect was the most common single reason a 2005 BMW X3 failed, on 11.7% of about 800 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (40.6% of failed tests; all 2005 cars 49.6%). 9.8% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.9% for all cars first registered in 2005. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2005 BMW X3 tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 11.7%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 11.6%
Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure 10.0%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 9.6%
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension 8.5%
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault Brakes 8.4%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 8.2%
Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension 7.6%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 7.2%
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.0%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: BMW X3 vs all 2005 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2005 BMW X3 MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2005 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 40.6%
Suspension 36.8%
Brakes 29.0%
Visibility 19.9%
Tyres 16.9%
Body, chassis, structure 15.4%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 14.8%
Noise, emissions and leaks 13.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2005 BMW X3

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 70.7% of 2005 BMW X3 tests had at least one (all 2005 cars 70.3%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2005 BMW X3 tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 24.9%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 23.2%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 11.0%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 10.0%
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 9.8%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 9.2%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 8.0%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 7.8%
Coil spring: corroded Suspension 5.7%
Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension 4.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2005 BMW X3?

Half of the 2005 BMW X3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 140,800 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 115,300 and a quarter more than 166,400. For all cars first registered in 2005, the middle figure was 103,800 miles, so 2005 BMW X3s have been driven 35.6% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2005 BMW X3 and all 2005 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2005 BMW X3 93,500 115,300 140,800 166,400 191,400 1,914
All 2005 cars 53,000 75,300 103,800 136,000 168,500 411,156
miles

Half of the 2005 BMW X3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 140,800 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2005 BMW X3s are left?

At the end of 2014, 5,613 2005 BMW X3s were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 2,415 were: 1,640 licensed and 775 declared off the road (SORN). That is 43.0% still on the record, against 29.5% for all cars first registered in 2005.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2005 BMW X3s on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2005 cars
Year end 2005 BMW X3All 2005 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 99.1%95.9%
2016 96.6%91.2%
2017 93.5%83.5%
2018 89.2%74.6%
2019 84.3%65.8%
2020 79.6%58.1%
2021 73.8%50.0%
2022 67.5%44.0%
2023 58.6%38.7%
2024 50.5%33.6%
2025 43.0%29.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2005

3 of the BMW X3’s 50 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2005. 1 has no build dates, so could apply to any year.

The 2005 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2005 may have been built in 2004, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

BMW X3 recalls whose build dates include 2005
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
18 Dec 2025 Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs) 29 Jul 2003 to 18 Aug 2017 2,139
21 Oct 2024 Check Driver’s Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5 13 Oct 2003 to 28 Jul 2006 and 17 May 2010 to 19 Aug 2017 57,467
18 Mar 2024 Replacing the Driver’s Airbag PSDI-5 1 Sept 2005 to 3 May 2006 2,223

Every BMW X3 recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the BMW X3

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%).

BMW X3s by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2004 2,183 63.4% 57.9%
2005 2,415 62.5% 57.7%
2006 2,942 64.6% 56.9%
2007 2,135 67.1% 57.3%
2008 1,402 67.7% 57.0%
2009 1,273 69.6% 58.2%
2010 841 70.6% 59.3%
2011 3,888 73.3% 61.5%
2012 6,709 71.1% 63.6%
2013 6,984 72.3% 66.0%
2014 6,449 6,022 73.5% 69.1%
2015 7,132 6,928 78.4% 72.6%
2016 9,395 8,976 79.2% 75.6%
2017 8,179 8,035 82.4% 79.1%
2018 8,146 7,953 87.9% 81.8%
2019 15,577 15,309 88.4% 84.4%
2020 7,558 7,442 88.7% 86.9%
2021 10,654 10,138 88.6% 88.4%
2022 7,289 6,827 90.6% 89.4%

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.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 2,008 MOT tests of 2005 BMW X3 cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 2,415 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of BMW X3 cars first registered in 2005; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2005.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • 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.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.