Pass rate, every year
10,570 tests across 5 model years, 2016–2020.
+9.3 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
10,570 tests across 5 model years, 2016–2020.
+9.3 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2017 91.0%
The strongest of the 5 years on record. See the 2017 page →
Worst year to buy
2016 89.4%
1.6 points below the 2017 peak. See the 2016 page →
The BMW M2 MOT pass rate is 90.3%, +9.3 percentage points above the UK average. That is 10,570 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2016 and 2020. This page lists the most common BMW M2 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how BMW M2 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The BMW M2 passed on its first attempt in 89.4%, and its overall record sits +9.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW M2 in the 2023–2025 data: 10,570 tests across 5 model years (2016–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 10,570 |
| Overall pass rate | 90.3% |
| Passed on first attempt | 89.4% |
| Average mileage at test | 35,624 mi |
| Model years covered | 2016–2020 (5 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +9.3 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW M2, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 33% |
| Tyres | 29% |
| Visibility | 20% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 4% |
| Brakes | 0% |
| Road Wheels | 0% |
Shares are over the BMW M2's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 33% of the recorded BMW M2 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (2.6%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (0.5%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (0.0%) among the BMW M2's suspension faults.
Around 29% of the recorded BMW M2 failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.2%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (0.9%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (0.7%) among the BMW M2's tyres faults.
Around 20% of the recorded BMW M2 failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.8%), "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (0.2%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.0%) among the BMW M2's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW M2, each with how many of the model's 10,570 tests it was noted on.
The strongest BMW M2 model year on record is 2017 (91.0% across 3,796 tests), and the weakest is 2016 (89.4%). The gap between them is 1.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 M2 | 110 | 90.0% |
| 2019 M2 | 198 | 90.9% |
| 2018 M2 | 4,169 | 90.1% |
| 2017 M2 | 3,796 | 91.0% |
| 2016 M2 | 2,297 | 89.4% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this BMW M2's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW M2.
the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
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 tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW M2. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
90.3% of the 10,570 recorded BMW M2 MOT tests ended in a pass, +9.3 percentage points above the national average. 89.4% of those passed on the first attempt.
2017 is the strongest BMW M2 year on record at 91.0%, while 2016 is the weakest at 89.4%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded BMW M2 failures are "Coil spring fractured or broken" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 4% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.