BMW 3 Series 1998
Cars aged 27 · Data updated: 2026-11-09 (week 46) · source: VDA / Transeksta, CC BY 4.0
Pass the inspection first time
37.8% ±1.5 pp
M1 average at 27 years – 36.7%
n = 3,874 inspections
Expected mileage now (median)
280,592 km
Percentiles · cars aged 27
p10 170k
p25 223k
p50 281k
p75 318k
p90 381k
| km | |
|---|---|
| p10 | 170,366 km |
| p25 | 222,742 km |
| p50 | 280,592 km |
| p75 | 318,169 km |
| p90 | 380,531 km |
Inspection verdicts
3 Series 1998, n = 3,874
| % | |
|---|---|
| No defects | 13.3% |
| Minor defects | 24.5% |
| Major defects | 58.4% |
| Dangerous defects | 3.8% |
Odometer inconsistencies
4.5%
cars whose reading dropped between inspections
CO (petrol, idle)
0.20%
22.2% over the limit · n = 2,548
Smoke opacity (diesel)
0.94 m⁻¹
31.8% over the limit · n = 1,204
What these numbers say
37.8% of 1998 BMW 3 Series cars pass the technical inspection at the first attempt (n = 3,874), against an average of 36.7% for all 27-year-old M1 cars.
At 27 years old, a typical one now shows 280,592 km on the odometer; half of them read between 222,742 km and 318,169 km.
An odometer inconsistency was recorded for 50 cars, 4.5% of those assessed.
The median idle CO reading is 0.20% vol; 22.2% of measurements exceed the limit.
Figures are not adjusted for how intensively cars are used. How we calculate