The picture
3: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 21,084 MOT tests, the 3 returns 79.7% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A tyre with the cords showing and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 35,568, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
428 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 02
A tyre cords visible or damaged
382 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 03
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
366 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 04
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
326 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 05
A tyre seriously damaged
322 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade defective
292 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
291 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 08
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
282 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 09
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
269 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 10
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
258 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£200–£430
If every one of this 3's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Buying or keeping a 3?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 3 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.