2016 BMW 320 MOT pass rate: 87.4% (9,577 tests)

2016-registered BMW 320s passed 87.4% of 9,577 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 6.1 points better than all UK cars registered in 2016 (81.3%). This is one of the strongest 320 years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

87.4%Pass rate, 2016 cars

106.1Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

9,577Tests analysed

75,067 miMedian mileage at test

88.7% / 87.2%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2016 320 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	88.3% +5.1 vs same-age
2024	86.9% +5.7 vs same-age
2025	87.1% +7.5 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2016 320

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	831	40.1%
2	Brakes	342	16.5%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	286	13.8%
4	Suspension	228	11.0%
5	Visibility	153	7.4%
6	Road Wheels	106	5.1%

All 320 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2016 (this page)	9,577	87.4%	+6.1 pts	75,067
2017	41,210	87.9%	+3.9 pts	66,478
2018	26,569	89.0%	+2.6 pts	54,882
2019	20,512	89.5%	+1.1 pts	39,325
2020	12,163	88.6%	-1.4 pts	31,661
2021	2,335	90.8%	+0.4 pts	31,157

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: BMW 320 years to avoid.

Buying a 2016 320? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2016 BMW 320 reliable?

2016-registered examples passed 87.4% of their MOT tests (9,577 tests, 2023–2025), +6.1 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 75,067 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2016 320?

The median tested example shows 75,067 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.