Hybrid BMW I3: MOT pass rate

87.1% of hybrid BMW I3s pass the MOT first time, measured across 8,387 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 55,909.

Hybrid against the other BMW I3 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Hybrids sidestep most emissions failures and tend to do lighter urban miles, though the extra weight tells on tyres and brakes.

On the BMW I3 specifically, electric is the strongest at 91.2%, and this hybrid version sits 2.6 points below the 89.7% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The hybrid BMW I3 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. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average hybrid BMW I3 had covered 55,909 miles at test, against 30,081 for the electric. That is around average, so condition and service history will tell you more than the odometer does.

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 I3 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a hybrid BMW I3

1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.5% of tests (8.87x the national rate for this defect)
2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.7% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.4% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.1% of tests
5. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
6. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1% of tests
8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.7% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.7% of tests
10. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests

From 8,426 DVSA-tracked hybrid BMW I3 tests, 2024, split out from the BMW I3's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 5.92% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a hybrid BMW I3

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 4.7% of tests (4.41x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 28.2% of tests (1.83x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 29.8% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 14.1% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.3% of tests
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2% of tests
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.5% of tests
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.8% of tests
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.8% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.7% of tests

From 8,426 DVSA-tracked hybrid BMW I3 tests, 2024.

Other BMW I3 fuel types

• Electric BMW I3 - 91.2%

All BMW I3 MOT data · Every model