BMW X2 MOT failure rate and common faults
21,225 BMW X2 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 14.0% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 15.5% of the time, which makes the BMW X2 9% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
14.0%
failed first time
21,225 MOT tests in 2025
-9%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 15.5%
91 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
57.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 69.5
What fails on a BMW X2 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common BMW X2 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 32.0 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 21.4 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 14.6 |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights and electrics | 14.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 13.8 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 10.1 |
| Tyres: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 7.9 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 6.5 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 6.2 |
| Individual direction indicators: not working | Lights and electrics | 5.5 |
BMW X2 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,516 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 28,500 |
| 2021 | 3,372 | 11.9% | 12.8% | 34,700 |
| 2020 | 3,585 | 12.4% | 14.1% | 39,400 |
| 2019 | 6,871 | 14.2% | 16.5% | 48,400 |
| 2018 | 4,878 | 17.2% | 19.1% | 53,800 |
Advisories to look for in a BMW X2's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the BMW X2, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge209.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing123.5
- Brake pads: wearing thin77.7
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened33.9
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement30.4
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords27.1
Checking a used BMW X2 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the BMW X2 fails more often than average on tyres. Start there.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the BMW X2 cars tested: Petrol 54%, Diesel 36%, Hybrid 10%. Average age at test 5.4 years, average recorded mileage 43,600.
BMW X2 MOT questions
What is the BMW X2 MOT failure rate?
14.0% of BMW X2 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 21,225 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 15.5% of the time, so the BMW X2 was 9% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a BMW X2 MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 83 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded 32.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which BMW X2 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2019 registrations did best: 14.2% failed against an average of 16.5% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular BMW X2 will pass?
No. These are averages across every BMW X2 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other BMW models
- BMW 3 Series23.5% failed
- BMW 1 Series24.0% failed
- BMW 5 Series19.6% failed
- BMW 2 Series16.5% failed
- BMW X117.6% failed
- BMW 4 Series16.6% failed
Ranked close to the BMW X2
- Skoda Octaviarank 88
- Toyota Yarisrank 89
- Volvo XC90rank 90
- Mercedes-Benz B-Classrank 92
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many BMW X2 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.