The BMW X6 passes its MOT first time on 82.6% of tests, 10.4 points higher than a typical car of the same age and mileage (72.2%). That puts it ahead of 96% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2008 X6 does best (beats 98% of cars) and the 2022 worst (beats 45%).
Better than average on lights & electrics, suspension, visibility.
Watch these weak spots
Number plates2.4×as often as a typical car
Wheel nuts & fixings2.4×as often as a typical car
Indicator side repeaters1.6×as often as a typical car
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
BMW X6Typical car, same age & mileage
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
Engine
Years
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
2008–2020
108,478
82.5%
Beats 96%
A
3.0 Diesel hybrid
2021–2022
3,016
85.9%
Beats 45%
C
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Tyres: 6.7% of tests fail on tyres, against 6.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Tyres
6.7% vs 6.9%
Lights & electrics
4.0% vs 10.6%
Suspension
3.9% vs 7.9%
Visibility
2.8% vs 4.5%
Brakes
2.4% vs 6.1%
Emissions & leaks
1.0% vs 2.5%
Wheels
0.8% vs 0.4%
Body & structure
0.7% vs 2.5%
Seat belts & airbags
0.3% vs 0.7%
Steering
0.1% vs 1.6%
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
Indicator side repeaters1.6× typical Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid.
Tyre damage & cracking Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.
Coil springs Look behind each wheel for a snapped coil (often the bottom one) and listen for clunks over bumps.
Tyre tread depth Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.
Windscreen washers Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
Headlight aim Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
BMW X6Typical car
Most common MOT failures
Item
This car
Typical
vs typical
Tyre damage & cracking
4.9%
3.7%
1.3×
Coil springs
1.8%
2.4%
0.7×
Tyre tread depth
1.8%
2.9%
0.6×
Windscreen washers
1.5%
2.1%
0.7×
Windscreen wipers
1.2%
2.1%
0.6×
Headlight aim
1.1%
3.0%
0.4×
Brake pads
0.9%
2.3%
0.4×
Suspension ball joints
0.9%
1.4%
0.6×
Indicator side repeaters
0.8%
0.5%
1.6×
Number plates
0.8%
0.3%
2.4×
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
Defect
per 1,000
A tyre cords visible or damaged
26.1
A tyre seriously damaged
23.8
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
17.7
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
17.6
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
15.7
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
14.7
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
11.7
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
10.5
Check another car
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
2022 BMW X61 engine86.4% passC
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel hybrid
1,254
86.4%
Beats 45%
C
2021 BMW X61 engine85.6% passC
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel hybrid
1,762
85.6%
Beats 46%
C
2020 BMW X61 engine87.0% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
2,157
87.0%
Beats 69%
B
2019 BMW X61 engine86.1% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
3,045
86.1%
Beats 75%
B
2018 BMW X61 engine86.4% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
12,000
86.4%
Beats 83%
A
2017 BMW X61 engine87.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
8,792
87.8%
Beats 96%
A
2016 BMW X61 engine87.5% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
13,663
87.5%
Beats 98%
A
2015 BMW X61 engine86.4% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
10,803
86.4%
Beats 98%
A
2014 BMW X61 engine81.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
12,118
81.8%
Beats 94%
A
2013 BMW X61 engine80.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
10,665
80.9%
Beats 96%
A
2012 BMW X61 engine78.2% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
9,540
78.2%
Beats 96%
A
2011 BMW X61 engine78.1% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
6,477
78.1%
Beats 97%
A
2010 BMW X61 engine76.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
6,785
76.9%
Beats 98%
A
2009 BMW X61 engine75.3% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
8,221
75.3%
Beats 98%
A
2008 BMW X61 engine75.1% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
4,212
75.1%
Beats 98%
A
FAQ
What is the BMW X6 MOT pass rate?
82.6% of MOT tests on the BMW X6 were passed first time, based on 111,494 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2008–2022. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 72.2% of the time.
Is the BMW X6 reliable?
On MOT results it rates A (excellent): it passes first time more often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 96% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which BMW X6 year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2008 X6 does best for its age and mileage: it beats 98% of cars on UK roads. The 2022 does worst: it beats 45%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the BMW X6?
The most common failure items are tyre damage & cracking, coil springs, tyre tread depth. Compared with similar cars, number plates comes up 2.4× as often.
How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.