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1981 BMW 323 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age

45 years
Current Age
77.4%
Latest Pass Rate
210
Total Tests (All Years)
88,588 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1981 BMW 323 as it ages.

28 yrs50.0%
29 yrs56.4%
30 yrs63.2%
31 yrs70.6%
34 yrs75.0%
35 yrs77.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 28 to 35 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
28 yrs50.0%36
29 yrs56.4%39
30 yrs63.2%38
31 yrs70.6%34
34 yrs75.0%32
35 yrs77.4%31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1981 BMW 323 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 6 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (35 yrs)77.4%31
2015 (34 yrs)75%32
2012 (31 yrs)70.6%34
2011 (30 yrs)63.2%38
2010 (29 yrs)56.4%39
2009 (28 yrs)50%36

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 36Avg Mileage 91,784Top Failure Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions — 30.6%
2010High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 39Avg Mileage 88,781Top Failure Brakes — 28.2%
2011High Fail Rate
63.2%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 38Avg Mileage 94,589Top Failure Suspension — 23.7%
2012
70.6%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 34Avg Mileage 87,752Top Failure Suspension — 17.6%
2015
75.0%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 32Avg Mileage 102,044Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.3%
2016
77.4%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 31Avg Mileage 88,588Top Failure Brakes — 32.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 BMW 323, with age trends.

Brakes
24.5%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
22.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
20.8%
— Consistent
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
17.0%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
12.9%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions30.6% (28 yrs)12.9% (35 yrs)
-17.7%
🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment30.6% (28 yrs)16.1% (35 yrs)
-14.5%
🟢 ↓
Brakes30.6% (28 yrs)32.3% (35 yrs)
+1.7%
⚪ —
Suspension19.4% (28 yrs)19.4% (35 yrs)
0.0%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW 323 page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 323 cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 210 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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