BMW 2 Series MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW 2 Series took 90,848 MOT tests in Britain and passed 84% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 90,848
First-time pass rate: 84%
All cars: 71%

What the 2 Series fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres6.7% (all cars 6.4%)
Lights and electrics4.5% (all cars 11.3%)
Brakes2.1% (all cars 6.8%)
Visibility2.1% (all cars 4.8%)
Suspension1.7% (all cars 9.0%)
Exhaust and emissions1.0% (all cars 3.1%)
Wheels0.7% (all cars 0.4%)
Number plates and VIN0.4% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.7%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.7%
Tyres, condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 1.5%
Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.2%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 1.2%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 0.9%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 0.8%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 0.7%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 16.5%
Brake pads: wearing thin 7.7%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 5.0%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 4.1%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 2.1%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.1%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 2.0%
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt 1.9%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2014	5,360	78%
2015	16,871	82%
2016	21,316	83%
2017	18,210	85%
2018	17,016	86%
2019	7,706	89%
2020	4,320	89%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	19,551 miles
4 years	26,259 miles
5 years	37,343 miles
6 years	47,045 miles
7 years	55,598 miles
8 years	62,086 miles
9 years	70,840 miles

Check a particular 2 Series

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.