Car statistics by year

2021 BMW 2 Series

BMW 2 Series cars first registered in 2021: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2021, so like is set against like.

A year of the BMW 2 Series. “2021” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
10,193 MOT tests of 2021 BMW 2 Series cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 88.8% All 2021 cars 88.4%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 32,200 miles; all 2021 cars 30,700
  • Left at the end of 2025 9,607 96.4% of the 9,969 at the end of 2021
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 4.4% All 2021 cars 3.8%
  • Tests with an advisory 30.0% All 2021 cars 33.1%
  • MOT tests in 2025 10,193 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2021 BMW 2 Series do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 4 years old, 88.8% of 2021 BMW 2 Series MOT tests were passed first time, against 88.4% for all cars first registered in 2021. 2021 BMW 2 Series did about as well as average for their age. A year earlier the same cars passed 87.6% of the time (all 2021 cars 88.7%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: BMW 2 Series vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each BMW 2 Series bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, BMW 2 Series compared with all cars
First registered BMW 2 SeriesAll cars
’14 74.8%69.1%
’15 78.6%72.6%
’16 79.9%75.6%
’17 82.7%79.1%
’18 83.9%81.8%
’19 86.3%84.4%
’20 87.7%86.9%
’21 88.8%88.4%
’22 89.7%89.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2021 BMW 2 Series

Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords was the most common single reason a 2021 BMW 2 Series failed, on 20.6% of about 1,100 failed tests. By area of the car, tyres failed most often (53.3% of failed tests; all 2021 cars 41.9%). 4.4% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 3.8% for all cars first registered in 2021. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2021 BMW 2 Series tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 20.6%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 11.7%
Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres 9.7%
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres 7.8%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes 5.7%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 5.7%
Brake pads: worn down to wear indicator Brakes 4.3%
Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 4.0%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 3.5%
Front fog lamps: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 3.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: BMW 2 Series vs all 2021 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2021 BMW 2 Series MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2021 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Tyres 53.3%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 16.6%
Brakes 11.6%
Visibility 10.5%
Suspension 5.9%
Noise, emissions and leaks 3.9%
Road wheels 3.8%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 3.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2021 BMW 2 Series

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 30.0% of 2021 BMW 2 Series tests had at least one (all 2021 cars 33.1%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2021 BMW 2 Series tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 13.5%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 7.9%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 5.3%
Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 3.4%
Nail in tyre Non-component advisories 2.2%
Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories 1.8%
Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres 1.6%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 1.5%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes 1.0%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 0.9%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2021 BMW 2 Series?

Half of the 2021 BMW 2 Series tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 32,200 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 23,600 and a quarter more than 43,500. For all cars first registered in 2021, the middle figure was 30,700 miles, so 2021 BMW 2 Series have been driven 4.9% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2021 BMW 2 Series and all 2021 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2021 BMW 2 Series 16,800 23,600 32,200 43,500 57,400 9,469
All 2021 cars 14,300 21,300 30,700 42,500 56,500 1,457,950
miles

Half of the 2021 BMW 2 Series tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 32,200 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2021 BMW 2 Series are left?

At the end of 2021, 9,969 2021 BMW 2 Series were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 9,607 were: 9,570 licensed and 37 declared off the road (SORN). That is 96.4% still on the record, against 96.0% for all cars first registered in 2021.

Share still on the record since 2021

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2021. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2021 BMW 2 Series on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2021, compared with all 2021 cars
Year end 2021 BMW 2 SeriesAll 2021 cars
2021 100.0%100.0%
2022 99.3%98.4%
2023 98.1%97.6%
2024 95.7%94.7%
2025 96.4%96.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2021

9 of the BMW 2 Series’s 39 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2021.

The 2021 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2021 may have been built in 2020, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

BMW 2 Series recalls whose build dates include 2021
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
2 Mar 2026 Replace the Engine Starter Motor 18 Dec 2020 to 29 Apr 2024 7,500
13 Sept 2024 Integrated Braking System 19 Nov 2021 to 14 Aug 2024 4,471
1 May 2023 In rare cases the lower section of the outer seat belts may have been trapped behind the lower part of the C-pillar interior trim panels. 12 Nov 2021 to 22 Mar 2023 1,963 (all models)
20 Mar 2023 On certain vehicles the Body Domain Controller (BDC) control unit may have an incorrect setting applied to it. 7 Dec 2021 to 9 Jun 2022 538 (all models)
5 Oct 2022 In the event of a restraint system fault the airbag warning light or warning message is not displayed to the driver due to a software error 9 Mar 2021 to 11 Jul 2022 4,313 (all models)
22 Aug 2022 Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold 4 Jul 2014 to 1 Mar 2018 and 5 Dec 2019 to 5 Oct 2021 322,745 (all models)
23 May 2022 If a failure is detected by the control unit the air bag warning light and check control message would not be illuminated and activated 9 Mar 2021 to 13 Apr 2022 3,023 (all models)
29 Dec 2021 The material quality of the screws used for seat belts and rear seats may not be to specifications. 22 Oct 2021 to 26 Oct 2021 38 (all models)
11 Jun 2021 The roof lining stiffening plates may not be bonded correctly 23 Mar 2021 1

Every BMW 2 Series recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the BMW 2 Series

9 years of the BMW 2 Series, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2015 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (78.6% passed first time) and the 2022 cars worst (89.7%).

BMW 2 Series by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2014 4,342 4,170 74.8% 69.1%
2015 15,567 14,824 78.6% 72.6%
2016 19,853 19,043 79.9% 75.6%
2017 16,239 15,785 82.7% 79.1%
2018 18,968 18,665 83.9% 81.8%
2019 14,867 14,804 86.3% 84.4%
2020 9,607 9,467 87.7% 86.9%
2021 9,969 9,607 88.8% 88.4%
2022 8,850 8,457 89.7% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered. Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 10,193 MOT tests of 2021 BMW 2 Series cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 9,607 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of BMW 2 Series cars first registered in 2021; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2021.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.