BMW
8,059 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 216s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 4.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
82.2%
Pass-after-fix
4.2%
Fail
13.1%
Avg miles
73,878
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 8,059 tests
Pass rate climbs 4.4 points across the cohorts — newer 216 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
82.1%
Fail
13.1%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
74,223 mi
Pass
86.5%
Fail
12.6%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
50,920 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 5,376 MOT tests, the 216 returns 82.1% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Windscreen damage and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 66,441, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
26–44
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A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
166 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
144 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
132 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
130 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
109 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
103 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
67 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
67 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
62 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
61 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£220–£495
If every one of this 216's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 216 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
86.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 86.5% — a 4.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 50,920 miles — roughly 23K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: pin or bush excessively worn, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
82.1%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 82.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 86.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: pin or bush excessively worn, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 74,223 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (86.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (82.1% pass). That's a 4.4-point spread across 7,940 older tests and 119 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 216 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
