BMW
2,140 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 218i Sport Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.1%
Pass-after-fix
2.4%
Fail
8.1%
Avg miles
29,840
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 · 2,140 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.7 points across the cohorts — newer 218i Sport Auto examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.5%
Fail
7.5%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
33,892 mi
Pass
90.3%
Fail
8.5%
PRS
1.1%
Avg mileage at test
26,875 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 608 MOT tests, the 218i Sport Auto returns 91.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Windscreen damage and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 27,069, 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
40 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
21 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
15 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
14 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
12 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
12 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
9 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
8 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
7 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
£80–£140
If every one of this 218i 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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.7-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW 218i Sport Auto makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.3%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 90.3% — a 2.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 26,875 miles — roughly 7K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. 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. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
87.5%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 87.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, blade defective, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 33,892 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (87.5% pass). That's a 2.7-point spread across 907 older tests and 1,233 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.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
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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 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.
