BMW 228 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 228 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 228 passed on its first attempt in 84.4%, and its overall record sits +5.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 228 in the 2023–2025 data: 1,866 tests across 3 model years (2014–2016). 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 228 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 228, the Tyres 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 228's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 228 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 228, each with how many of the model's 1,866 tests it was noted on.

• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 44 BMW 228 tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 35 BMW 228 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 30 BMW 228 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 24 BMW 228 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 14 BMW 228 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (Major) — noted on about 14 BMW 228 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 228 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 228 model year on record is 2016 (86.9% across 651 tests), and the weakest is 2015 (85.7%). The gap between them is 1.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 228 Owners

These checks follow this BMW 228's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 228.

• the shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

• 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 lights — “position lamp not working”

  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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 228. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 228 MOT & Reliability