BMW I3 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW I3 took 20,145 MOT tests in Britain and passed 88% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 20,145
First-time pass rate: 88%
All cars: 71%

What the I3 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres5.2% (all cars 6.4%)
Lights and electrics3.5% (all cars 11.3%)
Visibility2.3% (all cars 4.8%)
Brakes0.7% (all cars 6.8%)
Suspension0.6% (all cars 9.0%)
Seat belts and airbags0.4% (all cars 1.0%)
Wheels0.4% (all cars 0.4%)
Exhaust and emissions0.3% (all cars 3.1%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.8%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.8%
Headlamp aim: too high 1.8%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.1%
Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 0.7%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 0.7%
Side repeaters: not working 0.6%
Tyres, condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 0.5%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 14.2%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 11.4%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 4.9%
Brake pads: wearing thin 3.2%
Road Wheels, condition: slightly distorted 2.5%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 1.9%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.8%
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt 1.8%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2014	1,205	83%
2015	1,933	86%
2016	2,147	87%
2017	3,142	88%
2018	3,052	90%
2019	4,149	90%
2020	4,202	88%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	19,602 miles
4 years	26,090 miles
5 years	33,776 miles
6 years	44,781 miles
7 years	49,135 miles
8 years	53,398 miles
9 years	57,608 miles
10 years	57,412 miles

Check a particular I3

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.