BMW
10,428 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where M2s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 14.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
92.0%
Pass-after-fix
1.1%
Fail
6.6%
Avg miles
41,889
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 10,403 tests
Pass rate drops 1.0 points across the cohorts — recent M2 examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
92.1%
Fail
6.7%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
43,171 mi
Pass
91.1%
Fail
6.3%
PRS
2.5%
Avg mileage at test
35,982 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,631 MOT tests, the M2 returns 89.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. A broken or weak spring and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 35,561, 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
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
42–50
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A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
148 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
144 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
141 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
105 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
70 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
34 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits
34 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
29 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Audible warning inoperative
19 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
18 occurrences · 0.2% 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
£200–£430
If every one of this M2'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 1.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW M2 makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
92.1%
Pre-2018 registration
the older band (pre-2018) climbs to 92.1% — a 1.0-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has ply or cords exposed, fractured or broken — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
91.1%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 91.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 35,982 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: pre-2018 (92.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (91.1% pass). That's a 1.0-point spread across 1,809 older tests and 8,594 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.
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Recall history
The M2 has 4 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 M2 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.
