86.9%
BMW i3
BMW i3 MOT pass rate and common problems
The BMW i3 passed 86.9% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 14.6 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the i3 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
79.3%
BMW average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The i3 runs 7.6 points ahead of the BMW average. It is 6th of the 28 BMW models in the data. The average i3 arrived at its test 6.3 years old with 41,955 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
i3 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
BMW i3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 89.4% of MOT tests. For cars aged 11 years and over that fell to 78.3%, a drop of 11.1 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 11,225 | 89.4% | 17.1 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 12,316 | 84.9% | 12.6 pts above |
| 11 years and over | 627 | 78.3% | 6 pts above |
That is a typical decline as cars age. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where i3 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on BMW i3 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment together account for 60% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common i3 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on BMW i3 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 66.5% of everything testers recorded against failed BMW i3 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a i3
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, condition has ply or cords exposed and condition has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. 31.4% of failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: headlamp aim too high, side repeaters not working and headlamp aim too low. 17.1% of failure items.
3
Visibility
Recorded most often: washers provides insufficient washer liquid and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively. 12.9% of failure items.
4
Suspension
Recorded most often: coil spring fractured or broken. 5.1% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific i3 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used BMW i3 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
BMW i3 MOT FAQs
What is the BMW i3 MOT pass rate?
86.9% of BMW i3 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 26,186 tests. That is 14.6 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 91st of 575 models.
What does a BMW i3 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on BMW i3 cars failing their 2025 MOT was condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, on 12.9% of failure items. Next were headlamp aim too high (11.9%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (11.3%).
Which area causes the most BMW i3 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 36.6%, followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 23.5%.
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, against 78.3% for cars aged 11 years and over.
Does this mean every BMW i3 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every BMW i3 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific BMW i3's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.