2011 BMW X3 2.0L Diesel · POP 402

The 2011 BMW X3 you're considering passed its March 2026 MOT at 97,852 miles, but the test recorded an advisory for play in the offside steering rack inner joint. This is not an isolated finding – it is a recurring defect flagged at every single MOT for the last five consecutive years, starting with a "slight" note in 2022. The trend is clearly worsening. The advisory description dropped the word "slight" in 2023 and has remained a stated defect ever since, now covering both the offside and a general mention of the steering rack's inner joints. That a worn steering rack joint has been ignored for five years and 9,779 miles of driving suggests the component has continued to degrade. This is a critical safety item directly affecting steering precision and responsiveness. Mileage sits at roughly 6,500 miles per year, which is typical for a 15-year-old vehicle. There is no red flag here for extreme use or prolonged standing. The consistent annual mileage pattern paired with the unchanged advisory points to a car that has been kept on the road with light maintenance deferred – the owner has essentially passed every test without finally replacing the worn steering rack part. The biggest risk is that the steering rack now requires replacement, not a simple adjustment.