Used car guide · 2015–2021

BMW 216d common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used BMW 216d, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 16,466 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

16,466MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
2known faults across all years
2015best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

2021202020192018201720162015

What usually goes wrong with a BMW 216d?

Known faults reported by owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Most apply to certain years or engines only, so check which the car has.

  • Blocked particulate filter (diesel)

    Cars registered 2015–2021 · Diesel

    Diesels mostly used for short trips can block their particulate filter.

    At the viewing: Ask how the car was used, and watch for a DPF warning.

    Source: What Car?: used BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (2014-2021) reliability

  • Trim and electrical faults

    Cars registered 2015–2021 · All engines

    Interior trim was the most common complaint in What Car?'s survey, then electrics and infotainment. On the Active Tourer the boot floor panel can come loose and its plastic flaps break.

    At the viewing: Check the boot floor and test the screen and electrics.

    Source: What Car?: used BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (2014-2021) reliability

Common BMW 216d MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints

    up to 2.7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Headlight aim

    up to 2.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

    Rough price £20–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Park facing a wall at night or in a garage and check both headlight beams sit level. Aim is a cheap adjustment.

  • Engine warning light

    up to 2.5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Headlights

    up to 2.1× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2016 and 2017.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

BMW 216d MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2015 BMW 216d did best (77% passed first time, 3 points above all 2015 cars) and the 2020 did worst (85%, 2 points below all 2020 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
202187%87% +0212 (small sample)
202085%87% -2952
201986%85% +1795
201881%83% -21,913
201780%80% +04,365
201677%77% +05,207
201577%74% +33,022

Questions to ask the seller before buying a BMW 216d

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 2.7× as often on the BMW 216d as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the headlight aim? (Flagged at MOT 2.8× as often on the BMW 216d as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the engine warning light? (Flagged at MOT 2.5× as often on the BMW 216d as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a BMW 216d?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score