Diesel BMW Alpina: MOT pass rate

85.3% of diesel BMW Alpinas pass the MOT first time, measured across 776 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 102,254.

Diesel against the other BMW Alpina versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the BMW Alpina specifically, petrol is the strongest at 87.6%, and this diesel version sits 1.1 points below the 86.4% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel BMW Alpina fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel BMW Alpina had covered 102,254 miles at test, against 85,379 for the petrol. That is above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the BMW Alpina page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel BMW Alpina

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.5% of tests (2.58x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.4% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.2% of tests
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.1% of tests
5. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.9% of tests
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.8% of tests
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.7% of tests
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.5% of tests
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.5% of tests
10. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 0.9% of tests (9.71x the national rate for this defect)

From 775 DVSA-tracked diesel BMW Alpina tests, 2024, split out from the BMW Alpina's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 4.33% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel BMW Alpina

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 8.6% of tests (15.43x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 2.1% of tests (1.93x the national rate for this defect)
3. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 6.6% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect), also fails
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 21.8% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 11.2% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 10.5% of tests, also fails
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 9.5% of tests, also fails
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 5.8% of tests
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.3% of tests, also fails
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 4.3% of tests

From 775 DVSA-tracked diesel BMW Alpina tests, 2024.

Other BMW Alpina fuel types

• Petrol BMW Alpina - 87.6%

All BMW Alpina MOT data · Every model