Diesel BMW 218: MOT pass rate

84.9% of diesel BMW 218s pass the MOT first time, measured across 20,656 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 67,497.

Diesel against the other BMW 218 versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Petrol 86.8% 26,075
Diesel 84.9% 20,656
All BMW 21886%46,731

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the BMW 218 specifically, petrol is the strongest at 86.8%, and this diesel version sits 1.1 points below the 86% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel BMW 218 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel BMW 218 had covered 67,497 miles at test, against 47,562 for the petrol. That is a shade above the middle of the range, still ordinary wear rather than a red flag, but worth checking against the service book for the car's age.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the BMW 218 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other BMW 218 fuel types

All BMW 218 MOT data · Every model