BMW
3,960 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 218i Sports pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.2%
Pass-after-fix
1.9%
Fail
8.4%
Avg miles
33,184
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,960 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 218i Sport examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
88.7%
Fail
8.1%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
38,275 mi
Pass
89.7%
Fail
8.6%
PRS
1.3%
Avg mileage at test
27,745 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,455 MOT tests, the 218i Sport returns 86.3% 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 tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 30,078, 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
out of 50
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
A tyre seriously damaged
62 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
60 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
57 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
31 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
28 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
23 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
15 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
14 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
12 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
10 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 3 failures
£200–£350
If every one of this 218i 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 →
Try the calculator
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 Sport makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
89.7%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 89.7% — a 1.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 27,745 miles — roughly 11K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — 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
88.7%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 88.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 38,275 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (89.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (88.7% pass). That's a 1.0-point spread across 2,048 older tests and 1,912 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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£10.99
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£10.99
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£10.99
View at My Motor World →
Draper Expert
Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW
£18.69
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
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 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.
