BMW
15,792 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 218i M Sport Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
91.0%
Pass-after-fix
1.3%
Fail
7.5%
Avg miles
28,429
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 15,792 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 218i M Sport Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
91.0%
Fail
7.4%
PRS
1.5%
Avg mileage at test
32,836 mi
Pass
91.0%
Fail
7.5%
PRS
1.1%
Avg mileage at test
25,824 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,532 MOT tests, the 218i M Sport Auto returns 88.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A tyre with the cords showing and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,010, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
26–44
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A tyre seriously damaged
304 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
132 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
129 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
111 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
97 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade defective
69 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
66 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
61 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Windscreen or window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view
48 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
48 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£120–£190
If every one of this 218i M Sport Auto's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy BMW 218i M Sport Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.0%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.0% — a 0.0-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
91.0%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 91.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, has a bulge, caused by separation or…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 25,824 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (91.0% pass). That's a 0.0-point spread across 9,936 older tests and 5,856 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 218i M Sport Auto and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
