BMW 3 Series 2004
Cars aged 21 · Data updated: 2026-11-09 (week 46) · source: VDA / Transeksta, CC BY 4.0
Pass the inspection first time
40.8% ±1.0 pp
M1 average at 21 years – 38.5%
n = 9,439 inspections
Expected mileage now (median)
328,900 km
Percentiles · cars aged 21
p10 226k
p25 282k
p50 329k
p75 378k
p90 423k
| km | |
|---|---|
| p10 | 226,114 km |
| p25 | 281,893 km |
| p50 | 328,900 km |
| p75 | 377,889 km |
| p90 | 423,095 km |
Inspection verdicts
3 Series 2004, n = 9,439
| % | |
|---|---|
| No defects | 14.8% |
| Minor defects | 25.9% |
| Major defects | 57.1% |
| Dangerous defects | 2.1% |
Odometer inconsistencies
1.3%
cars whose reading dropped between inspections
CO (petrol, idle)
0.10%
16.1% over the limit · n = 1,443
Smoke opacity (diesel)
0.50 m⁻¹
12.4% over the limit · n = 7,567
What these numbers say
40.8% of 2004 BMW 3 Series cars pass the technical inspection at the first attempt (n = 9,439), against an average of 38.5% for all 21-year-old M1 cars.
At 21 years old, a typical one now shows 328,900 km on the odometer; half of them read between 281,893 km and 377,889 km.
An odometer inconsistency was recorded for 33 cars, 1.3% of those assessed.
The median diesel smoke opacity is 0.50 m⁻¹; 12.4% of measurements exceed the limit.
Figures are not adjusted for how intensively cars are used. How we calculate