86.9%
BMW i3 pass rate
Used BMW i3 buying guide
In 2025, BMW i3 cars passed 86.9% of 26,186 initial MOT tests, 14.6 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific i3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW i3 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+14.6
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the i3 sits 91st of 575 models in the data. BMW as a brand averaged 79.3%, so this model runs 7.6 points ahead of its own brand. BMW i3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 89.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 78.3%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full BMW i3 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the i3 compares with similar cars.
i3 fuel types
Most BMW i3 cars tested in 2025 were electric. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old like any other car, and their tyres, brakes, suspension and lights are tested the same way.
Where the i3 fails its MOT
Where BMW i3 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (12.9%), headlamp aim too high (11.9%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (11.3%). See every common i3 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every BMW i3 that failed, not a claim that every i3 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used i3?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 36.6% of i3 failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 23.5% of i3 failure items.
3
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 15.2% of i3 failure items.
4
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 9.2% of i3 failure items.
5
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 7% of i3 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing BMW i3 failures cluster around tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact i3 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the BMW history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the i3.
Used BMW i3 FAQs
Is the BMW i3 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 86.9% first-time pass rate for the BMW i3 across 26,186 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older BMW i3 cars fail their MOT more often?
BMW i3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 89.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 78.3%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used BMW i3?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and visibility. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a BMW i3's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.