BMW 2 Series, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
165,361 BMW 2 Series are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 83.8% of initial MOT tests, 11.5 points above the 72.3% UK average.
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BMW 2 Series at the MOT
83.8% of 135,776 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 2 Series 142nd of 575 models. BMW 2 Series aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 73.9%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
BMW 2 Series tests in 2025.
Where 2 Series fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW 2 Series tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (8.4%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7.6%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (5.3%).
The MOT page lists every common 2 Series MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 2 Series's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.30.3% of 2 Series failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.23.3% of 2 Series failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.14% of 2 Series failure items
BMW 2 Series in the UK
165,361 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 276% since the end of 2016.
- Change since 2016
- +276%from 43,939 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2019half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2019 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 10,889against 22,384 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 1,9921.2% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW 2 Series since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 5,339 |
| End of 2015 | 22,536 |
| End of 2016 | 43,939 |
| End of 2017 | 61,609 |
| End of 2018 | 81,069 |
| End of 2019 | 96,719 |
| End of 2020 | 106,511 |
| End of 2021 | 116,855 |
| End of 2022 | 128,122 |
| End of 2023 | 139,138 |
| End of 2024 | 151,282 |
| End of 2025 | 160,729 |
| End of June 2026 | 165,361 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW 2 Series by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,577 | 10,889 |
| 2024 | 11,626 | 13,795 |
| 2023 | 10,812 | 12,824 |
| 2022 | 8,432 | 10,564 |
| 2021 | 9,570 | 11,437 |
| 2020 | 9,422 | 11,189 |
| 2019 | 14,704 | 16,750 |
| 2018 | 18,496 | 21,260 |
| 2017 | 15,575 | 18,860 |
| 2016 | 18,775 | 22,384 |
| 2015 | 14,556 | 17,785 |
| 2014 | 4,055 |
14,556 2 Series first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 82% of the 17,785 first registered that year.
2 Series engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 46% of BMW 2 Series MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 45%. Petrol accounts for 59% of licensed 2 Series and diesel for 28%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 135,771 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 2 Series
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 98,242 | 59% |
| Diesel | 46,067 | 28% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 9,252 | 6% |
| Hybrid electric | 11,800 | 7% |
BMW 2 Series recalls
39 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW 2 Series. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 2 Series is affected.
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Jul 2026 R/2026/262
Reworking the PVC Seam in the Rear Light Housing
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The safety recall relates to a PVC seam seal defect which may have occurred in the body area of the right real light housing. It is possible that seam sealant was not applied to a panel overlap area this may result in water ingress into the vehicle in the area of the right rear light. If water does enter the trunk in the area of the right rear light it may result in water ingress onto the exposed power distribution box as well as adjacent wiring harnesses and electrical components. It cannot be reliably excluded that electrical contacts may be affected particularly due to capillary effects. In this case moisture ingress and the resulting long-term corrosion may lead to increased contact resistance as well as functional degradation or failure of individual electrical components. Over the service life a thermal event cannot be completely ruled out.
- Remedy
- On the affected vehicles the PVC seam will be checked and if necessary reworked.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/054
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The Safety Recall relates to the engine starter motor. The fault relates to the RSW22 starter RWT (reinforced water tightness). It was found that with RWT starters an increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can cause the growth of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn may increase the relay contact resistance resulting in false starts or even causing short circuits and possibly a thermal reaction. In case of a short circuit the possibility of a thermal event cannot be excluded. This may happen while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibrations causing a short circuit due to moving deposits.
- Remedy
- On the affected vehicles the starter motor will be replaced with a variant by another supplier with a different design. Until the repair has been completed it is recommended to not leave the vehicle running unattended after starting the engine.
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Dec 2025 R/2025/349
Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
- Remedy
- Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.
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Oct 2025 R/2025/443
Seat Belt Rear Outer Seats
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles either one or both of the outer most rear seats may not have been manufactured correctly and the sensitivity sensor may be deformed. If the sensor is not functioning correctly there is a risk the seat belt may not operate as intended.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles the affected seatbelts will be checked and replaced.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/398
Front Seat Belt Retractor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the front seat belts may have damage to the torsion bar caused during manufacture. The retention function of the seat belt may not perform as expected in the event of an accident.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the affected seatbelts replaced.
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Jul 2025 R/2025/267
Checking the Threaded Connection of Grounding Cable PCU48
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the ground connection cable on the 48V power supply control unit may not have been torqued to the correct specification.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the ground connection checked and re-torqued. If required the relevant cable and Power Control Unit will be replaced.
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Nov 2024 R/2024/452
Rework Front End Threaded Connection (BMW)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the screws connecting the front end to the vehicles body may have been tightened to a torque level lower than required.
- Remedy
- The screws will be replaced if necessary and correctly torqued.
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Oct 2024 R/2024/414
Hydraulic Brake System Unit Replacement
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the brake servomotor was improperly welded. The weld seam might not withstand the stresses caused under high brake pressure leading to a requirement for a higher brake effort increasing the braking distance.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the hydraulic unit of the brake system replaced.
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the 2 Series's 83.8% MOT pass rate.
BMW 2 Series FAQs
How many BMW 2 Series are there in the UK?
165,361 BMW 2 Series were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,992 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW 2 Series reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 83.8% first-time pass rate for the BMW 2 Series across 135,776 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the BMW 2 Series had any recalls?
39 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW 2 Series. The most recent was published in July 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used BMW 2 Series?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a BMW 2 Series's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a 2 Series?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.