All generations and engines together · 354,823 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 74k
Better than most saloons and estates, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and emissions/leaks. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
The four-cylinder N47 diesel (2007-2015, so mainly E90/E91/E92/E93 and early F30 320d/318d) uses plastic chain guides and a tensioner that can wear early, letting the chain stretch and rattle on start-up. Left alone it can snap and wreck the engine. BMW never called it a UK recall but ran a 2009 parts revision and a 2015 goodwill programme, and a TSB exists covering diagnosis; independent repair runs roughly £1,500-3,000, more if the engine is already damaged.
The turbocharged N20 four-cylinder petrol, fitted to 320i and 328i F30/F31 cars from 2012-2016, suffers from the same plastic timing chain guide problem as the diesel, cracking and breaking up over time. The giveaway is a metallic rattle for a few seconds on a cold start that fades as oil pressure builds, sometimes with fault codes P0016 or P0017. Independent specialist repair is typically £1,500-2,800; BMW dealer prices run higher.
On N47, N57 and B47 diesels, the EGR cooler's internal fins can crack and let coolant leak into the intake, where it mixes with soot; in rare cases this has caused engine bay fires. Watch for a coolant level that keeps dropping with no visible leak, or the car dropping into limp mode. BMW has run genuine recalls covering this on later-build diesels (roughly 2012-2016 production), so check the car's recall status before buying; repair cost if not covered runs into four figures.
Owners of F30/F31 cars (and reportedly the newer G20) commonly report a knock or clonk from the front over bumps, usually traced to a worn front strut top mount, anti-roll bar links or the inner tie rods, becoming noticeable from around 70-80k miles. This lines up with suspension being the measured MOT fault signature for the model: it is a genuine wear point, not just an urban myth, though the exact part varies car to car so a mechanic needs to pin down which one before you pay for it.
On the ZF 8HP automatic fitted to most auto 3 Series from F30 onward, a rubber mechatronic sleeve inside the unit can harden and let fluid contaminate the electrical connections, throwing multiple transmission fault codes and leaving the car stuck in one gear or unable to select drive. Separately, harsh 1st-to-2nd shifts when cold are widely reported as normal-ish but still catch buyers out on test drives. Sleeve/mechatronic repairs run roughly £1,500-3,000; the wider gearbox itself has a good reliability reputation otherwise. Only relevant on automatic cars.
On the N54/N55 straight-six petrols (335i/340i and similar), owners report blue smoke on cold start or after the car has sat for a while, caused by valve stem seals hardening with age and heat, sometimes compounded by a weak plastic PCV valve. It tends to show up from around 70-120k miles and is a specialist job because it needs BMW's locking tools, typically £1,500-3,000 in the UK once diagnosed properly. Not officially acknowledged by BMW as a defect, so treat it as a known wear item rather than a confirmed fault.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 115,442 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.
Head to head with the other popular cars in its class on reliability and common faults.