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Bmw 116i auto vs Bmw 3 series: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Bmw 116i auto
80%
MOT pass rate · 14 vehicles
Bmw 3 series
75%
MOT pass rate · 996,044 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Bmw 116i auto (80%) and Bmw 3 series (75%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Bmw 116i auto Bmw 3 series
MOT pass rate 80% ✓ 75%
MOT failure rate 20% ✓ 25%
Faults & advisories per test 0.6 ✓ 2.0
Dangerous-fault share 12% 2% ✓
Average mileage 70,714 mi 128,558 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 14 996,044

Most common faults

Bmw 116i auto

  1. Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))
  2. all four sides tyres worn to 3 mm of tread depth and has wearing edges
  3. Offside Front Inner Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play tie rod (2.1.3 (b) (i))
  4. Offside Rear Seat belt buckle missing (7.1.2 (d))
  5. Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both forward arms inner bushes. (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  6. Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both rear starting to inner edge wear. (5.2.3 (e))

Bmw 3 series

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
  6. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Bmw 116i auto (80%) and Bmw 3 series (75%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Bmw 116i auto report Full Bmw 3 series report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.