UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW 3 Series cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 465,380 licensed and 122,778 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW 3 Series generic-model group.

Looking at a 3 Series?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular 3 Series is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 3 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 668,770 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 465,380 in 2026 Q1, down 30%. That is down 18% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 122,778 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 588,158 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

3 Series MOT pass rate

In 2024, 72.1% of 318,739 BMW 3 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 86.5% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 66.4% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 5.4% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 3.9% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Brake Performance — 3.9% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Shock Absorbers — 3.6% of tests. Leaking or worn dampers. Replaced in pairs and noticeable in how the car rides.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW 3 Series MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 5.4% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 3.9% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Brake Performance — 3.9% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Shock Absorbers — 3.6% of tests in 2024. Leaking or worn dampers. Replaced in pairs and noticeable in how the car rides.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 588,158 3 Series vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 5 is SORN (122,778 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 30% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 668,770. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual 3 Series — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1465,380122,778
2025 Q4472,420120,641
2025 Q3481,408116,289
2025 Q2487,314114,676
2025 Q1489,346116,517
2024 Q4494,073115,866
2024 Q3503,882113,937
2024 Q2509,256112,937
2024 Q1511,011113,250
2023 Q4516,634112,079
2023 Q3525,496106,127
2023 Q2532,646103,796
2023 Q1535,500104,245
2022 Q4542,875104,562
2022 Q3550,32899,946
2022 Q2555,80198,178
2022 Q1557,34099,563
2021 Q4561,85799,841
2021 Q3569,49195,321
2021 Q2572,35394,418
2021 Q1569,10296,370
2020 Q4570,84796,273
2020 Q3578,48191,508
2020 Q2578,29291,739
2020 Q1578,92994,440
2019 Q4588,28488,984
2019 Q3595,98283,524
2019 Q2599,55181,135
2019 Q1601,51680,354
2018 Q4606,38980,354
2018 Q3615,84374,903
2018 Q2621,21472,344
2018 Q1622,77072,311
2017 Q4628,18771,816
2017 Q3636,17066,779
2017 Q2639,13864,681
2017 Q1639,09962,880
2016 Q4641,75661,702
2016 Q3644,08055,792
2016 Q2648,20153,337
2016 Q1649,72953,340
2015 Q4650,88650,898
2015 Q3654,37645,157
2015 Q2656,78743,263
2015 Q1654,73142,787
2014 Q4655,89042,316
2014 Q3668,77036,882

Other BMW models

See how many of every BMW model are left

Common questions

How many BMW 3 Series cars are left in the UK?

465,380 were licensed and 122,778 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW 3 Series cars are SORN?

122,778 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 588,158 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 3 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 668,770 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 465,380 in 2026 Q1, down 30%. That is down 18% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 122,778 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 588,158 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW 3 Series MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 72.1% of 318,739 BMW 3 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the 3 Series fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (5.4% of tests), headlamp aim (3.9% of tests), brake performance (3.9% of tests).

Does this say whether one 3 Series is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.