BMW M2: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW M2 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 11.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,323 individual BMW M2 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 88.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 12 in every 100 BMW M2s 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 M2 tested had covered 40,886 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW M2 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 M2 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 M2s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW M2

1. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 0.4% of tests (1.91x the national rate for this defect)
2. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.3% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.6% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this defect)
4. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 0.4% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.6% of tests
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.1% of tests
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 0.9% of tests
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.4% of tests
9. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.3% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.2% of tests

From 9,542 DVSA-tracked BMW M2 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 8.15% of these flagged BMW M2 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW M2 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 M2 year:

• 2016 BMW M2 - 87.8% first-time pass, 707 tests
• 2017 BMW M2 - 89.6% first-time pass, 1,176 tests
• 2018 BMW M2 - 88.7% first-time pass, 1,292 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

• Lexus Ct - 88.4%
• Mercedes-Benz Gle - 88.4%
• Vauxhall Corsa Se Premium - 88.4%
• Land Rover R Rover Evoque R-Dyn Hse D A - 88.4%
• Hyundai Tucson Se Nav48v Mhev Crdi 2wd - 88.4%
• Kia Sportage 2 Crdi Isg Mhev S-A - 88.4%

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