BMW 218i Sport: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 218i Sport passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 11.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 2,249 individual BMW 218i Sport tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 88.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 12 in every 100 BMW 218i Sports presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average BMW 218i Sport tested had covered 33,490 miles and was built around 2020.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 218i Sport sits 11.7 points above the national average, ranked 940 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific BMW 218i Sport rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged BMW 218i Sports at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 218i Sport

1. Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 1% of tests (4.92x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 3% of tests
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.5% of tests
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.3% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.2% of tests
6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.9% of tests
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.9% of tests
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.7% of tests
9. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.4% of tests (1.63x the national rate for this defect)
10. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.4% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this defect)

From 2,245 DVSA-tracked BMW 218i Sport tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.69% of these flagged BMW 218i Sport defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 218i Sport

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a BMW 218i Sport before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.8% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 20.6% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25.7% of tests, also fails
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 8.6% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 2.9% of tests
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.9% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.6% of tests
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 0.4% of tests
9. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.4% of tests
10. Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended, 0.3% of tests (2.75x the national rate for this advisory)

From 2,245 DVSA-tracked BMW 218i Sport tests, 2024.

BMW 218i Sport pass rate by model year

From its 2019 to its 2021 model year, the BMW 218i Sport's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.5 points, from 90.2% to 87.7%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each BMW 218i Sport year:

• 2018 BMW 218i Sport - 88% first-time pass, 241 tests
• 2019 BMW 218i Sport - 90.2% first-time pass, 633 tests
• 2020 BMW 218i Sport - 90.2% first-time pass, 369 tests
• 2021 BMW 218i Sport - 87.7% first-time pass, 980 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Land Rover R Rover Evoque R-Dyn Hse D A - 88.4%
• Hyundai Tucson Se Nav48v Mhev Crdi 2wd - 88.4%
• Kia Sportage 2 Crdi Isg Mhev S-A - 88.4%
• BMW 220i M Sport Auto - 88.4%
• Ford Fiesta Active X Edition Turbo - 88.4%
• Land Rover Discovery Spt Rdyn Hse Dmhev A - 88.4%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate