125,276 tests in 2025
BMW 2 Series reliability and MOT pass rate
86.8% passed first time. The 13.2% fail rate is 9.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 49,509 miles.
Pass rate
86.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
49,509 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 31,718 | 9.5% |
| 6-9 years | 72,289 | 13.5% |
| 10-13 years | 20,385 | 18.2% |
| 14+ years | 95 | — |
What the 2 Series fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres6,662 dangerous45.3%
- Suspension111 dangerous21.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment19 dangerous18.7%
- Brakes1,808 dangerous15.4%
- Visibility4 dangerous10.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks11 dangerous7.8%
- Road Wheels445 dangerous5.1%
- Body, chassis, structure33 dangerous2.6%
Is the 2 Series getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.6 points to 13.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 94,175 | — | 10.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 105,392 | — | 12.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 97,345 | — | 13.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 113,019 | — | 13.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 2 Series at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 2 Series in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords2,368 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,886 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed1,501 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,290 tests
- 5Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,214 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak1,024 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn942 tests
- 8Coil spring: fractured or broken938 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 2 Series collects 2.12 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm18,192 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick9,222 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure7,679 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened5,677 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn5,206 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords3,025 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn2,831 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm2,732 tests
Questions
What is the BMW 2 Series MOT pass rate?
86.8% of the 125,276 BMW 2 Series first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW 2 Series usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 2,368 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 45.3% of failures, suspension appears in 21.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 18.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.5%; at 10-13 years it was 18.2%. The median BMW 2 Series tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 49,509 miles.
Is the BMW 2 Series getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.6 points to 13.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 2 Series trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 19 safety recalls naming the BMW 2 Series: BMW 2 Series recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular 2 Series?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.