UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW 2 Series cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 146,547 licensed and 1,709 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW 2 Series generic-model group.

Looking at a 2 Series?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular 2 Series is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 2 Series disappearing?

146,547 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the 2 Series is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 46% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,709 are declared SORN — 1 in 87 of the 148,256 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

2 Series MOT pass rate

In 2024, 85.7% of 17,494 BMW 2 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 89.4% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 78.6% aged 10–14 years.

  • Condition — 5.7% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 2.1% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Tread Depth — 1.4% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 1.2% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW 2 Series MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 5.7% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 2.1% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Tread Depth — 1.4% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 1.2% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Check the actual 2 Series — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1146,5471,709
2025 Q4144,7621,674
2025 Q3143,3941,522
2025 Q2141,7791,499
2025 Q1139,0881,530
2024 Q4136,5761,392
2024 Q3134,5071,082
2024 Q2130,610953
2024 Q1129,130899
2023 Q4125,969863
2023 Q3123,997664
2023 Q2122,192588
2023 Q1119,274535
2022 Q4116,298553
2022 Q3114,521449
2022 Q2112,545439
2022 Q1108,870455
2021 Q4106,741465
2021 Q3106,002444
2021 Q2104,785518
2021 Q1100,501723
2020 Q497,187666
2020 Q395,140572
2020 Q292,052961
2020 Q189,9681,104
2019 Q488,477898
2019 Q386,538577
2019 Q281,869647
2019 Q178,274459
2018 Q473,792669
2018 Q369,677625
2018 Q264,979739
2018 Q161,533520
2017 Q455,550664
2017 Q352,592477
2017 Q248,339465
2017 Q144,422444
2016 Q439,522597
2016 Q335,781340
2016 Q230,733288
2016 Q125,647290
2015 Q419,928219
2015 Q315,60363
2015 Q210,281116
2015 Q17,04461
2014 Q44,30340
2014 Q32,92250

Other BMW models

See how many of every BMW model are left

Common questions

How many BMW 2 Series cars are left in the UK?

146,547 were licensed and 1,709 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW 2 Series cars are SORN?

1,709 are declared SORN — 1 in 87 of the 148,256 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 2 Series disappearing?

146,547 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the 2 Series is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 46% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,709 are declared SORN — 1 in 87 of the 148,256 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW 2 Series MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 85.7% of 17,494 BMW 2 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the 2 Series fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (5.7% of tests), headlamp aim (2.1% of tests), tread depth (1.4% of tests).

Does this say whether one 2 Series is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.