UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW 6 Series cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 19,321 licensed and 4,935 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW 6 Series generic-model group.

Looking at a 6 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 6 Series is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 6 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 24,959 in 2019 Q2 and stand at 19,321 in 2026 Q1, down 23%. That is down 18% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,935 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 24,256 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.

6 Series MOT pass rate

In 2024, 84.3% of 4,583 BMW 6 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 88% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 72.8% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 5.7% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Springs — 1.7% of tests. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 1.6% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Tread Depth — 1.4% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW 6 Series MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 5.7% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Springs — 1.7% of tests in 2024. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 1.6% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Tread Depth — 1.4% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 24,256 6 Series vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 5 is SORN (4,935 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual 6 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 Q119,3214,935
2025 Q419,6614,820
2025 Q320,2444,354
2025 Q220,4794,285
2025 Q120,3034,532
2024 Q420,5154,429
2024 Q321,0924,029
2024 Q221,4183,834
2024 Q121,3563,900
2023 Q421,6563,905
2023 Q322,3253,398
2023 Q222,6233,241
2023 Q122,4753,322
2022 Q422,7193,423
2022 Q323,1423,050
2022 Q223,3232,912
2022 Q123,2333,010
2021 Q423,2583,101
2021 Q323,6352,789
2021 Q223,8742,759
2021 Q123,5632,951
2020 Q423,7253,026
2020 Q324,2552,701
2020 Q224,2262,770
2020 Q123,9212,942
2019 Q424,3342,707
2019 Q324,8122,313
2019 Q224,9592,158
2019 Q124,7032,210
2018 Q424,2792,348
2018 Q324,3852,017
2018 Q224,1692,032
2018 Q123,3401,873
2017 Q422,8381,929
2017 Q322,7961,708
2017 Q222,8321,590
2017 Q122,4731,599
2016 Q422,3001,635
2016 Q322,0791,400
2016 Q221,7041,384
2016 Q121,0321,465
2015 Q420,5821,564
2015 Q320,4041,305
2015 Q220,2061,195
2015 Q119,3661,241
2014 Q418,7721,416
2014 Q318,9881,101

Other BMW models

See how many of every BMW model are left

Common questions

How many BMW 6 Series cars are left in the UK?

19,321 were licensed and 4,935 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW 6 Series cars are SORN?

4,935 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 24,256 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 6 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 24,959 in 2019 Q2 and stand at 19,321 in 2026 Q1, down 23%. That is down 18% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,935 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 24,256 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW 6 Series MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 84.3% of 4,583 BMW 6 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the 6 Series fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (5.7% of tests), springs (1.7% of tests), exhaust emissions (1.6% of tests).

Does this say whether one 6 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.