BMW
7,750 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 218i M Sports pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.8%
Pass-after-fix
1.5%
Fail
8.4%
Avg miles
29,706
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 7,750 tests
Pass rate drops 1.4 points across the cohorts — recent 218i M Sport examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
90.6%
Fail
7.4%
PRS
1.9%
Avg mileage at test
33,776 mi
Pass
89.2%
Fail
9.1%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
27,219 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,824 MOT tests, the 218i M Sport returns 88.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Tyre tread under the limit and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,653, 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 →
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A tyre seriously damaged
191 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
83 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
67 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
59 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
57 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
48 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
27 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
22 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Audible warning inoperative
21 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
17 occurrences · 0.2% 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'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. A 1.4-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW 218i M Sport makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.6%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.6% — a 1.4-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
89.2%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 89.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.6% 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 27,219 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (89.2% pass). That's a 1.4-point spread across 4,818 older tests and 2,932 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 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.
