BMW I3: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The BMW I3 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 12.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 23,726 individual BMW I3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 89.4% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | +12.7 points |
| Tests analysed | 23,726 |
| Average mileage at test | 38,713 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 2018 |
| Reliability rank | 795 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 89.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 11 in every 100 BMW I3s 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 I3 tested had covered 38,713 miles and was built around 2018.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW I3 bought as a 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 I3 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 what damaged BMW I3s actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 3 real settled sales.
Most common MOT failures on a BMW I3
- Tyres on the same axle or on twin wheels are different sizes, 0.2% of tests (1.91x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2% of tests
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.7% of tests
- A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.6% of tests
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.4% of tests
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.4% of tests
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.4% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.2% of tests
- An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.2% of tests
From 40,493 DVSA-tracked BMW I3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.66% of these flagged BMW I3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
BMW I3 pass rate by model year
Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each BMW I3 year:
- 2014 BMW I3 - 85% first-time pass, 1,181 tests
- 2015 BMW I3 - 85.3% first-time pass, 1,915 tests
- 2016 BMW I3 - 86.6% first-time pass, 2,157 tests
- 2017 BMW I3 - 88.2% first-time pass, 3,182 tests
- 2018 BMW I3 - 90.2% first-time pass, 3,094 tests
- 2019 BMW I3 - 91.8% first-time pass, 4,096 tests
- 2020 BMW I3 - 92.2% first-time pass, 4,178 tests
- 2021 BMW I3 - 91.6% first-time pass, 3,565 tests
BMW I3 by fuel type
Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:
- Electric BMW I3 - 91.2% first-time pass, 15,258 tests
- Hybrid BMW I3 - 87.1% first-time pass, 8,387 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
- Porsche Taycan 4x2 - 89.5%
- Land Rover Rr Sport Hse Dyn Blck D Mhev A - 89.5%
- Volvo Xc90 R-Design B5 Awd Auto - 89.5%
- Skoda Scala - 89.4%
- Audi Q7 Sln Blk Ed 50tdi Mhev Qto A - 89.4%
- BMW M340i Xdrive Mhev Auto - 89.4%
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
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