2010 BMW Alpina — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2010 BMW Alpina passed 85.4% of its 560 recorded MOT tests. That is 9.7 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 24.4%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.1%) and lighting & signalling (6.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, position lamp and pins and bushes — shock absorbers alone was recorded 21 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 4.5% of 30-60k cars fail, rising to 21.1% once past 150k — 4.6× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 20.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 17.9% in 2021 to 15.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.1% | 40 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 38 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.9% | 22 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.2% | 18 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.7% | 15 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.3% | 7 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shock absorbers | 21 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 17 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 16 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 16 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 13 |
| 6 | Washers | 10 |
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% | 116 |
| 2 | Suspension | 17.3% | 97 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.0% | 84 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.2% | 29 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.0% | 17 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.7% | 15 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 66 | 4.5% |
| 60-90k | 118 | 11.0% |
| 90-120k | 156 | 19.2% |
| 120-150k | 135 | 15.6% |
| 150k+ | 71 | 21.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 441 | 16.8% |
| Petrol | 119 | 6.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 123 | 17.9% |
| 2022 | 115 | 16.5% |
| 2023 | 105 | 10.5% |
| 2024 | 110 | 11.8% |
| 2025 | 107 | 15.9% |
What to check before buying a 2010 Alpina
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.1% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.1% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.9% 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
How many 2010 BMW Alpinas pass their MOT?
85.4% of the 560 2010 BMW Alpina MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2010 BMW Alpina?
Suspension, recorded in 7.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.8%).
Does the 2010 Alpina get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.5% in the 30-60k band to 21.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 560 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.