All generations and engines together · 14,665 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 67k
Middling among SUVs, by age and by mileage. Watch emissions/leaks and suspension. A fair used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating emissions/leaks 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 4.4 twin-turbo V8 in the X6 xDrive50i and early X6M burns oil and can rattle for a second or two on cold start as the timing chain guides and tensioner wear, usually from 60,000-80,000 miles on 2008-2013 cars. Root cause is valve stem seals that harden early from the heat of the hot-V turbo layout. BMW ran a Customer Care Package on early N63 engines that extended cover for the affected parts even out of warranty, if the fault was flagged in time. A full repair with a chain kit and reseal can run to several thousand pounds because the engine has to come out.
On the N57 diesel (X30d, X40d, X50d) the plastic swirl flaps in the inlet manifold can shear their fixing bolts, and in bad cases a broken flap drops into a cylinder and wrecks the engine. Carbon also builds up around the intake and EGR valve, blunting economy and throttle response. Usually reported from around 80,000 miles. A swirl flap delete or EGR clean is a few hundred pounds; debris in a cylinder is engine-out money.
Owners across every X6 generation report slow oil seepage from the rocker cover gasket, sump gasket and oil filter housing gasket as the car ages, leaving an oily film under the engine and sometimes a faint burning smell. The measured MOT data for this segment flags emissions and leaks as the standout fault category, and this is the everyday version of it: a gasket weep rather than a dramatic failure. Not urgent by itself, but worth costing into any offer if the engine bay looks oily.
Cars with self-levelling rear air suspension or the Dynamic Drive active anti-roll system can develop a saggy or lopsided stance overnight as the air springs crack and lose pressure, or the compressor fails. Reported across E71, F16 and G06 cars from roughly 80,000-120,000 miles or 6-8 years old. A single spring or compressor swap is a few hundred pounds; a fuller system overhaul can run past £1,500.
The powered tailgate is a repeat weak point: it starts to open a little way then stops, needs a shove to finish, or won't respond to the key or dash button at all. Owners and independent write-ups put it down to the control module, the lift motor or worn struts, with issues starting as early as 40,000 miles. A motor or module swap isn't cheap, budget a few hundred pounds and more with genuine parts.
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.
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. 6,269 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 (Family & large SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.