BMW 216 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 216 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 216 passed on its first attempt in 83.1%, and its overall record sits +4.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 216 in the 2023–2025 data: 15,648 tests across 4 model years (2015–2018). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common BMW 216 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 216, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the BMW 216's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 216 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 216, each with how many of the model's 15,648 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 436 BMW 216 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 332 BMW 216 tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 297 BMW 216 tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 292 BMW 216 tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 235 BMW 216 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 207 BMW 216 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 216 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 216 model year on record is 2018 (86.7% across 1,440 tests), and the weakest is 2015 (84.0%). The gap between them is 2.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW 216 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 216 Owners

These checks follow this BMW 216's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 216.

• the lights — “headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 216. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 216 MOT & Reliability