BMW M2 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

90.3% Above average

10,570 tests across 5 model years, 2016–2020.

+9.3 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the BMW M2 really fares

90.3% of its MOTs pass — over 10,570 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

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.

Check your postcode

MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how BMW M2 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

BMW M2 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

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.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed10,570
Overall pass rate90.3%
Passed on first attempt89.4%
Average mileage at test35,624 mi
Model years covered2016–2020 (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.

Most Common BMW M2 MOT Problems by Failure Category

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 Est. recorded instances
Suspension 33% 336
Tyres 29% 303
Visibility 20% 210
Noise, emissions and leaks 8% 83
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 5% 49
Identification of the vehicle 4% 43
Brakes 0% 2
Road Wheels 0% 1

Shares are over the BMW M2's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Suspension

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.

Tyres

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.

Visibility

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.

Top Recorded BMW M2 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

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.

  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 278 BMW M2 tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 191 BMW M2 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 132 BMW M2 tests, 1.2% 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 99 BMW M2 tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 71 BMW M2 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 57 BMW M2 tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW M2 Model Years by Pass Rate

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 First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2020 M2 110 90.0% 90.3% 22,150 mi Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idl
2019 M2 198 90.9% 90.0% 29,729 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2018 M2 4,169 90.1% 89.1% 39,925 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2017 M2 3,796 91.0% 90.3% 42,667 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2016 M2 2,297 89.4% 88.3% 43,649 mi Coil spring fractured or broken

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW M2 Owners

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.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW M2 MOT & Reliability

What is the BMW M2 MOT pass rate?

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.

Which BMW M2 model years pass the MOT most often?

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.

What are the most common BMW M2 MOT failures?

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.