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BMW i3, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

25,234 BMW i3s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 86.9% of initial MOT tests, 14.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific i3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

BMW i3 at the MOT

86.9% of 26,186 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the i3 91st of 575 models. BMW i3s 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%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • BMW i386.9%
  • All BMW modelsThe i3 is 7.6 pts ahead79.3%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

BMW i3 tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years11,225 tests89.4%
  • 6 to 10 years12,316 tests84.9%
  • 11 years and over627 tests78.3%

Where i3s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on BMW i3 tests in 2025.

  • Tyres36.6%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.5%
  • Visibility15.2%
  • Suspension9.2%
  • Brakes7%

The 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%).

The MOT page lists every common i3 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full BMW i3 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The i3's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks 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

BMW i3s in the UK

25,234 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 331% since the end of 2016.

Change since 2016
+331%from 5,858 licensed
Typical year of first use
2019half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2019 or earlier
First registered in 2025
3against 4,449 in 2020
Declared off the road
5032% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed BMW i3s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 20141,534
End of 20153,574
End of 20165,858
End of 20179,024
End of 201811,964
End of 201916,082
End of 202019,817
End of 202123,370
End of 202225,565
End of 202325,615
End of 202425,336
End of 202525,256
End of June 202625,234

How old they are

Licensed BMW i3s by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 116 were first used before 2014.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20222,6172,825
20213,3653,598
20204,0474,449
20193,9334,347
20182,9973,380
20173,0783,485
20162,1132,520
20151,8322,209
20141,142

1,832 i3s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 83% of the 2,209 first registered that year.

BMW i3 recalls

9 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW i3. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every i3 is affected.

  1. Nov 2022 R/2022/322

    During supplier s production process of the battery cells a manufacturing defect occurred with the winding of cell-internal films for the high-voltage battery

    i3s built Nov 2018 to Jul 2021 · 18 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    During supplier's production process of the battery cells a manufacturing defect occurred with the winding of cell-internal films for the high-voltage battery.
    Remedy
    The defective cell module will be replaced.

  2. Mar 2022 R/2022/089

    The micro gas generator within the front seatbelt's retractor may have been damaged

    i3s built Jan 2022 to Feb 2022 · 2,018 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The micro gas generator within the front seatbelt's retractor may have been damaged and may not act according to the specification in the event of an accident.
    Remedy
    On the affected vehicles the front seatbelts will be checked and replaced if they are found to have been damaged

  3. Dec 2021 R/2021/442

    The material quality of the screws used for seat belts and rear seats may not be to specifications

    i3s built Oct 2021 · 38 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The material quality of seat and seatbelt screws may not be according to specification.
    Remedy
    On the affected vehicles the screws will be replaced in specific locations on the seat belts or rear seats.

  4. Apr 2021 R/2021/158

    The control ring of the backrest recliner in the second seat row may break

    i3s built Feb 2021 to Mar 2021 · 82 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The control ring of the recliner of the backrest in the second seat row may break due to insufficient material performance.
    Remedy
    On the affected vehicles the seat frames of the second seat row will be replaced.

  5. Jun 2020 R/2020/162

    The air bag control unit may have been equipped with a defective sensor for the rollover detection

    i3s built Mar 2020 · 189 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    The Airbag control unit (ACSM4i) will be replaced on the affected vehicles.

  6. Apr 2020 R/2019/289

    The electric motor electronics printed circuit board was not manufactured according to the specifications

    i3s built Jan 2019 to Mar 2019 · 120 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The Electric Motor Electronics (EME) printed circuit board was not manufactured according to specifications
    Remedy
    The Electric Motor Electronics (EME) of vehicles affected will be replaced.

  7. May 2019 R/2019/147

    The printed circuit board was not manufactured according to specifications

    i3s built May 2015 to Feb 2018 · 59 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The electric motor electronics are not manufactured to specification.
    Remedy
    The electric motor electronics EME of vehicles affected will be replaced.

  8. Apr 2017 R/2017/123

    Ventilation line may rub against positive battery cable

    i3s built Sep 2013 to Dec 2016 · 4,685 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to inappropriate routing the ventilation line might rub against the battery positive cable which can cause a leakage over time. If leakage occurs fuel vapours will enter the engine compartment causing the risk of fire.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and check the fuel tank ventilation line. If damaged the ventilation line will be replaced. In all cases an additional clip will be attached between the tank ventilation line and the battery positive cable.
How to check a specific i3 for recalls

Other BMW models

The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the i3's 86.9% MOT pass rate.

All 28 BMW models

BMW i3 FAQs

How many BMW i3s are there in the UK?

25,234 BMW i3s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 503 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

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.

Has the BMW i3 had any recalls?

9 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW i3. The most recent was published in November 2022. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

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 own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

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.

Already found an i3?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded). Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.