2019 BMW 2 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 79,678 MOT tests, the 2019 BMW 2 Series recorded a 90.9% pass rate. That is effectively the same as coupes & convertibles of a similar age (8.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.6%) and lighting & signalling (3.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 1,801 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2019 2 Series fails 7.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 10.6% at 150k+, a spread of only 3.6 points.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 8.9% of the time against 9.8% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 20.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 5.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.6% | 4,462 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 2,548 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.2% | 946 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.1% | 856 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 532 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.6% | 471 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 1,801 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,220 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 767 |
| 4 | Washers | 699 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 474 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 433 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 20.7% | 16,491 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.0% | 6,374 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.0% | 4,749 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.1% | 1,653 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 1,485 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.8% | 630 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 40,884 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 31,734 | 10.9% |
| 60-90k | 5,657 | 13.4% |
| 90-120k | 1,071 | 13.9% |
| 120-150k | 260 | 13.5% |
| 150k+ | 66 | 10.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 56,502 | 8.9% |
| Diesel | 16,454 | 9.8% |
| Hybrid | 6,722 | 9.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,100 | 5.9% |
| 2022 | 20,017 | 8.4% |
| 2023 | 19,885 | 9.0% |
| 2024 | 19,281 | 9.5% |
| 2025 | 19,395 | 9.8% |
What to check before buying a 2019 2 Series
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.6% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (3.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (1.2% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2019 BMW 2 Seriess pass their MOT?
90.9% of the 79,678 2019 BMW 2 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 BMW 2 Series?
Tyres, recorded in 5.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.2%).
Does the 2019 2 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 10.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 79,678 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.