BMW Alpina MOT pass rate & common failures
8,449 MOT tests on the BMW Alpina (1980–2023) give it an 86.5% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (22.5% fail rate), the Alpina comes out 8.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.7%) and suspension (4.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, shock absorbers and washers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 237 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.3% versus 7.1%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 13.0% of the time against 14.1% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 18.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 14.8% in 2021 to 12.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Alpina model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 100 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 164 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 183 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 340 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 252 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 380 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 309 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 421 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 213 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 383 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 881 | 83.4% | 16.6% | Brakes |
| 2008 | 540 | 88.1% | 11.8% | Tyres |
| 2009 | 525 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 560 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 477 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 295 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 124 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 187 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 393 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 345 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 252 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 316 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 289 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 119 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 213 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 58 | 98.3% | 1.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 395 |
| 2 | Suspension | 4.6% | 389 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.6% | 385 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.5% | 293 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 189 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 86 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.9% | 73 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.7% | 61 |
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 | 237 |
| 2 | Shock absorbers | 180 |
| 3 | Washers | 123 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 120 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 107 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 95 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 94 |
| 8 | Rbt (sp) | 92 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 18.0% | 1,518 |
| 2 | Tyres | 16.6% | 1,399 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.6% | 1,314 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.7% | 483 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.8% | 407 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.2% | 356 |
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 | 797 | 7.1% |
| 30-60k | 1,485 | 9.8% |
| 60-90k | 1,841 | 11.6% |
| 90-120k | 1,849 | 16.0% |
| 120-150k | 1,342 | 16.3% |
| 150k+ | 1,114 | 18.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,278 | 14.1% |
| Petrol | 4,171 | 13.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,640 | 14.8% |
| 2022 | 1,680 | 14.0% |
| 2023 | 1,683 | 14.2% |
| 2024 | 1,706 | 12.2% |
| 2025 | 1,740 | 12.6% |
What to check before buying a BMW Alpina
- Lighting & signalling (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (4.6% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (4.6% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW Alpina?
86.5% of the 8,449 BMW Alpina MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 13.6% fail rate, across model years 1980–2023.
What does the BMW Alpina most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.7% of tests, then suspension (4.6%).
How much does mileage affect Alpina MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.3% for 150k+, a 11.2-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Alpina more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 13.0% of the time against 14.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,449 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.