MOT failure data · 2025

BMW 2 Series MOT problems

Across every BMW 2 Series that failed its 2025 MOT, the defect testers recorded most often was condition has ply or cords exposed, on 11.05% of failure items. The broadest problem area was tyres at 40.83%. These are recorded defects across the model, not a diagnosis of any one car.

Most common BMW 2 Series MOT failures

#	Recorded defect	Area	Share
1	Condition has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	11.05%
2	Condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	9.8%
3	Tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	7.93%
4	Condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure	Tyres	6%
5	Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak	Suspension	4.61%
6	Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	3.96%
7	Washers provides insufficient washer liquid	Visibility	3.27%
8	Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction	Noise, emissions and leaks	2.83%
9	Coil spring fractured or broken	Suspension	2.76%
10	Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn	Suspension	2.74%

Shares are of all recorded failure items for this model, so they sum to less than 100% — a single failed test often records several defects, and the long tail below the top 10 is not shown.

What this means if you are buying one

Use it as a viewing checklist. If you are looking at a BMW 2 Series, these are the areas worth inspecting and worth asking about — and worth reading the car's own MOT history for, since a defect that keeps reappearing as an advisory is a better signal than any model-wide average.

The MOT record also has hard limits: it does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox, and it says nothing about outstanding finance, insurance write-off history, stolen markers or whether the mileage is genuine. Our used BMW 2 Series buying guide covers what to check beyond the MOT.

Checking a specific BMW 2 Series?

Enter its registration for finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history.

Other BMW models

BMW 2 Series MOT FAQs

What does a BMW 2 Series most commonly fail its MOT on?

The single most recorded defect on BMW 2 Series cars failing their 2025 MOT was "condition has ply or cords exposed", appearing on 11.05% of failure items.

Does this mean my BMW 2 Series will fail?

No. This is what testers recorded across every BMW 2 Series that failed in 2025. It shows where this model tends to need attention, not the condition of any individual car. The BMW 2 Series passed 88.41% of its initial tests.

How do I see a specific BMW 2 Series's MOT history?

Enter its registration on our free MOT history check to see that car's own test results, advisories and recorded mileages.

Defect counts from the DVSA MOT Anonymised test-item data for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, failure items only — advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.