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BMW 2 Series seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 79,099 MOT tests · Updated

At 6 years, 0.2 in 100 MOT tests of the BMW 2 Series failed on seat belts and airbags, against 0.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 79,099 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.5–0.7×) (all test years), 166 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 9 ages from 3 to 11 years, 478,855 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 6 years: 79,099 for the BMW 2 Series

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.2 fails per 100 MOT tests at 6 years, against 0.4 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 (all test years). The BMW 2 Series fails less often here.

Why it matters

A seat belts and airbags fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

BMW 2 Series seat belts and airbags fails by age

BMW 2 Series seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the BMW 2 Series. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.00.53 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 54,049 MOT tests34 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 64,335 MOT tests45 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 70,286 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 79,099 MOT tests67 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 78,101 MOT tests78 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 62,053 MOT tests89 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 43,661 MOT tests910 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 22,003 MOT tests1011 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.9), 5,268 MOT tests11
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. BMW 2 Series All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
354,0490.40.3
464,3350.20.3
570,2860.20.3
679,0990.20.4
778,1010.20.4
862,0530.30.5
943,6610.30.6
1022,0030.20.7
115,2680.50.9

All first-use years of the BMW 2 Series pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the seat belts and airbags at 6 years

Advisories (not fails)

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By engine and fuel

  • 1.5 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 6 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 27,326 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 diesel: 0.2 per 100 at 6 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 26,309 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 6 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 8,578 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Seat belt condition: buckle slightly damaged.

Check one BMW 2 Series, not the average

The figures here describe BMW 2 Series cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other BMW 2 Series problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the BMW 2 Series have more seat belts and airbags problems than other cars?

0.5 to 0.7 times the seat belts and airbags fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 6 years (all test years), from 79,099 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 5 of the 9 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are BMW 2 Series seat belts and airbags problems?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 0.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 79,099 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 478,855 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare