BMW 216: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 216 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 6.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 4,704 individual BMW 216 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 83.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 17 in every 100 BMW 216s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average BMW 216 tested had covered 74,059 miles and was built around 2016.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW 216 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific BMW 216 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged BMW 216s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 216

1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.8% of tests (3.3x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 0.5% of tests (3.16x the national rate for this defect)
3. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.5% of tests (1.63x the national rate for this defect)
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.8% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.8% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.2% of tests
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.1% of tests
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2% of tests
9. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1% of tests

From 7,014 DVSA-tracked BMW 216 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.94% of these flagged BMW 216 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 216 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each BMW 216 year:

• 2015 BMW 216 - 82.3% first-time pass, 1,012 tests
• 2016 BMW 216 - 82.8% first-time pass, 1,751 tests
• 2017 BMW 216 - 84.7% first-time pass, 1,470 tests
• 2018 BMW 216 - 86.2% first-time pass, 434 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mazda Cx-5 - 83.1%
• Nissan Leaf - 83.1%
• BMW 640 - 83.1%
• Renault Trafic Business Energy Dci - 83.1%
• Toyota Hilux Active D-4d 4wd Ecb - 83.1%
• Volkswagen Transporter T28 Startline Tdi - 83%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate