2025 MOT results
BMW 2 Series common problems
The most common reason a BMW 2 Series fails its MOT is a cut tyre, on 11.5% of its 21,195 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: headlamp aim out of line at 5.9% of failures against 2.2% expected; a bulge in a tyre at 6.0% of failures against 2.4% expected; a leaking damper at 5.2% of failures against 2.6% expected.
- Tests in 2025 128,366 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 16.5% 21,195 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 5.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 38.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a BMW 2 Series MOT
Each bar is the share of failed BMW 2 Series tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 11.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 7.2% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.8% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 6.0% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.9% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.8% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 5.2% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 4.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 4.7% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Cut tyre
11.5% of failures 7.9% expected 1.5 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.4% of failures 9.8% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
7.2% of failures 5.7% expected somewhat more often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Worn brake pads
6.8% of failures 8.6% expected somewhat less often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Bulge in a tyre
6.0% of failures 2.4% expected 2.5 times as often
A bulge in the sidewall, where the casing inside the tyre has failed after an impact.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
5.9% of failures 2.2% expected 2.7 times as often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a BMW 2 Series, on 37.5% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 30.9%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 37.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 29.1% |
| Suspension | 18.3% |
| Brakes | 13.1% |
| Visibility | 12.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.7% |
| Road wheels | 4.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
38.3% of BMW 2 Series tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On BMW 2 Series, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 7.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.2% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.3% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.0% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.0% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 1.8% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 1.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a BMW 2 Series gets older
A 2022 BMW 2 Series failed 10.3% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2014 one failed 25.2%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 BMW 2 Series 10.3% failed, from 9,079 tests
- Cut tyre 28.3%
- Bulge in a tyre 9.2%
- Headlamp aim set too high 8.8%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.4%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 8.2%
- Washers that do not work 5.7%
2014 BMW 2 Series 25.2% failed, from 5,210 tests
- Leaking damper 18.1%
- Sidelight out 11.0%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 9.5%
- Engine management light on 8.5%
- Washers that do not work 7.9%
- Headlamp out 6.4%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
BMW 2 Series problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a BMW 2 Series?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords” is the most common: it appears on 11.5% of failed BMW 2 Series tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 37.5% of failed tests.
How often does a BMW 2 Series fail its MOT?
16.5% of BMW 2 Series tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 128,366 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 57 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a BMW 2 Series than on other cars?
Yes. “Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect” appears on 5.9% of its failures against 2.2% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” appears on 6.0% of its failures against 2.4% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a BMW 2 Series aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 128,366 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.