MOT History from tests of petrol BMW 3-SERIESs year 2001

Review the list of common BMW 3-SERIES failures below or to perform a specific mot history check on your BMW then use our popular KnowYourCar service

mot history

Pass percent:59.50%

(The average a petrol BMW 3-SERIES year 2001 passes without issue)

Based on:520,524 MOT Tests

Most common failures	No# failures
Headlamp aim out of alignment	39009
Brake pipe excessively corroded	31160
Registration plate lamp issues	29968
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements \|3.7.B.7\|	27387
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively	21258
Rear parking brake recording little or no effort	20093
Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	11101
Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	10524
Registration plate issues	9571
Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault \|5.4.2\|	9147
Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	6990
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	6912
Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement \|2.4.G.2\|	5450
Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	5367
Brakes imbalanced across an axle	5098
Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement \|2.4.G.2\|	5063
Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits \|7.3.D.3\|	4800
Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault	4789
Parking brake lever has no reserve travel \|3.1.6b\|	4490
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	4459
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	4448
Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	4253
Offside Rear coil spring incomplete \|2.4.C.1a\|	3841
Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint \|2.5.B.1a\|	3825
Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint \|2.5.B.1a\|	3737
Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	3574
Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	3498
Offside Rear coil spring fractured \|2.4.C.1a\|	3448
Nearside Rear coil spring incomplete \|2.4.C.1a\|	3330
Offside Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	3241
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	3226
Nearside Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	3160
Nearside Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	3074
Offside Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	3063
Nearside Rear coil spring fractured \|2.4.C.1a\|	3033
Nearside Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	2936
Offside Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	2805
Front Exhaust system not adequately supported \|7.1.1\|	2764
Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	2551
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement \|2.4.G.2\|	2527
Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image \|1.2.4a\|	2484
Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	2458
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	2453
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement \|2.4.G.2\|	2418
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	2355
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	2344
Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	2179
Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened	2155
Offside Rear coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	2145
Brake hose excessively deteriorated	2132
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	2130
Rear brake binding	2072
Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image \|1.2.4a\|	1826
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	1802
Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	1749
Offside Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users \|1.8.A.1a\|	1729
Nearside Rear coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	1704
Nearside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint \|2.5.B.1a\|	1678
Windscreen has damage	1653
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	1651
Offside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint \|2.5.B.1a\|	1601
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive \|7.3.D.3\|	1538
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))	1492
Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	1473
Offside Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	1444
Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	1428
Nearside Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users \|1.8.A.1a\|	1420
Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	1419
Front brake application uneven	1408
Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened	1403
Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases \|7.1.2\|	1326
Exhaust system not adequately supported \|7.1.1\|	1293
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	1225
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	1175
Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	1151
Horn not working \|1.6.2a\|	1144
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive \|7.3.D.4\|	1141
Nearside Front Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	1118
Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	1111
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))	1104
Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	1088
Parking brake efficiency below requirements \|1.4.2 \|a\| \|i\|\|	1084
Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone `A` \|8.3.1e\|	1049
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	1012
Offside Front Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	1009
Offside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image \|1.2.4a\|	998
Electronic stability system warning lamp indicates a fault \|3.4.1c\|	984
Service brake: efficiency below requirements \|3.7.B.7\|	965
Offside Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush \|2.5.A.1c\|	944
Offside Rear position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	935
Nearside Rear Wheel bolt\|s\| missing \|4.2.A.1e\|	914
Nearside Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush \|2.5.A.1c\|	876
Nearside Rear position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	872
Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	860
Nearside Front Wheel bolt\|s\| missing \|4.2.A.1e\|	860
Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	819
Offside Rear fog lamp not working \|1.3.2b\|	806
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	789
Offside front brake binding \|3.7.B.1\|	768
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault \|7.1.6 \|a\|\|	766
Offside Front Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users \|1.8.A.1a\|	764
Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported \|7.1.1\|	764
Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image \|1.2.4a\|	751
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))	746
Driver`s airbag obviously defective \|5.4.1\|	746
Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	746
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	738
Hazard warning switch faulty \|1.4.B.1d\|	737
Offside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	720
Windscreen wiper blade insecure	702
Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	701
Nearside front brake binding \|3.7.B.1\|	690
Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	684
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction \|8.2.1.2 \|h\|\|	675
Offside Rear Direction indicator not working \|1.4.A.2c\|	640
Offside Front Wheel bolt\|s\| missing \|4.2.A.1e\|	638
Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working \|1.4.A.2c\|	636
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases \|7.1.2\|	633

We get to these numbers by trawling through over 1 billion MOT test results since 2004 and crunched the numbers. We remove anything to do with Tyres, as they are model independent and group together common non-model specific issues. We are trying to get to a picture of what models have what issues.

Please note: We take the data from the DVSA. This data is raw and can contain typos and spelling mistakes that garages may have entered while recording a MOT result. Specifically miss-match on names of models and makes. We are constantly cleaning the data so bear with the odd issue.

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MOT History from tests of petrol BMW 3-SERIESs year 2001

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