BMW Alpina: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW Alpina passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,552 individual BMW Alpina tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 85.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 14 in every 100 BMW Alpinas 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 Alpina tested had covered 92,461 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW Alpina sits 9.1 points above the national average, ranked 1,183 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 Alpina 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 recorded closing bids for damaged BMW Alpinas at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW Alpina

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.7% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.2% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.5% of tests
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.9% of tests
5. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.7% of tests
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.6% of tests
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.4% of tests
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1% of tests
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.9% of tests

From 1,546 DVSA-tracked BMW Alpina tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.72% of these flagged BMW Alpina defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW Alpina

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a BMW Alpina before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 5.6% of tests (9.93x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.8% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6.5% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 7.2% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 15.9% of tests, also fails
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 11.1% of tests, also fails
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 9.6% of tests, also fails
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8.9% of tests
9. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 4.4% of tests, also fails
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4.2% of tests

From 1,546 DVSA-tracked BMW Alpina tests, 2024.

BMW Alpina by fuel type

The BMW Alpina's two most-tested fuel types split by 2.3 points: diesel passes first time 85.3% of the time (776 tests) against 87.6% for petrol (764 tests).

• Diesel BMW Alpina - 85.3% first-time pass, 776 tests
• Petrol BMW Alpina - 87.6% first-time pass, 764 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

• Renault Trafic Ll30 Sport Energy Dci - 85.9%
• BMW 6 Series - 85.8%
• Fiat Fullback - 85.8%
• Fiat 500e La Prima - 85.8%
• Skoda Superb Se L Iv Phev S-A - 85.8%
• Volkswagen Transporter T32 Se Tdi Bmt S-A - 85.8%

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate