Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 3,457 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.9 points across the cohorts — newer Alpina examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 2,942

Pass

86.7%

Fail

10.7%

PRS

2.0%

Avg mileage at test

101,728 mi

2018–2020 cohort 322

Pass

93.2%

Fail

3.7%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

35,800 mi

2021+ cohort 193

Pass

89.6%

Fail

8.3%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

26,233 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Alpina: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 1,703 MOT tests, the Alpina returns 82.7% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A tyre with the cords showing and shock absorber damaged to the extent round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 95,685, 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

Group 26–44

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

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

93 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
02

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

38 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
03

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

36 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
04

A tyre seriously damaged

35 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
05

A tyre cords visible or damaged

30 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
06

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

26 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
07

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

25 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

21 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
09

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

21 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
10

A tyre seriously damaged

20 occurrences · 0.6% 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 2 failures

£68–£130

If every one of this Alpina'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW Alpina has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.2%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.2% — a 6.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 35,800 miles — roughly 66K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — 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

86.7%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a serious fluid leak, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 101,728 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.7% pass). That's a 6.5-point spread across 2,942 older tests and 322 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · 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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

3 UK recalls on record.

The Alpina has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an Alpina?

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 an Alpina 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.