BMW 2 Series vs Mercedes-Benz SLK

On MOT-testable defects the BMW 2 Series comes out ahead: 10.8% of its tests record a failure against 19.4% for the Mercedes-Benz SLK, a 8.7-point gap. The biggest single difference is suspension, where the SLK records failures noticeably more often.

10.8%
2 Series fail rate
19.4%
SLK fail rate
8.68pp
Difference

Side by side

MOT figures compared
MetricBMW 2 SeriesMercedes-Benz SLK
MOT tests analysed626,646354,328
Pass rate89.2%80.5%
Fail rate10.8%19.4%
Fail rate compared (lower is better) BMW 2 Series 10.8% Mercedes-Benz SLK 19.4%
Overall MOT fail rate across comparable model years.

Where they differ

Failure-area share, by category
Category2 SeriesSLK
Suspension1.6%9.1%
Brakes1.7%5.1%
Lighting & signalling3.8%7.0%
Visibility1.6%2.6%
Tyres5.8%5.1%

Methodology & source. 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.

See the full data