1,525 tests in 2025
BMW Alpina reliability and MOT pass rate
86% passed first time. The 14% fail rate is 8.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 16 years old with 85,861 miles.
Pass rate
86%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
85,861 mi
16 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 221 | 8.6% |
| 6-9 years | 207 | 13% |
| 10-13 years | 161 | — |
| 14+ years | 932 | 14.6% |
What the Alpina 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.
- Tyres67 dangerous36.6%
- Suspension2 dangerous28.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.5%
- Brakes21 dangerous21.6%
- Visibility10.8%
- Body, chassis, structure8.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5.6%
Is the Alpina getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.7 points to 14.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 2.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,486 | 14 | 15.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,481 | 15 | 16.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,363 | 15 | 13.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,466 | 16 | 14.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Alpina 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 Alpina 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 cords27 tests
- 2Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak22 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed18 tests
- 4Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure15 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm13 tests
- 6Coil spring: fractured or broken13 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn12 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements12 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Alpina collects 2.8 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 1.6mm135 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened88 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded83 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine75 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure73 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened66 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn63 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak57 tests
Questions
What is the BMW Alpina MOT pass rate?
86% of the 1,525 BMW Alpina first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW Alpina 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 27 failed tests, followed by "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 36.6% of failures, suspension appears in 28.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 23.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.6%; at 14+ years it was 14.6%. The median BMW Alpina tested in 2025 was 16 years old with 85,861 miles.
Is the BMW Alpina getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.7 points to 14.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 2.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Alpina 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 3 safety recalls naming the BMW Alpina: BMW Alpina recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular Alpina?
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.