MOT cost .
BMW 318
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

BMW

318

16,943 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 318s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 8.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

85.9%

Pass-after-fix

2.3%

Fail

11.3%

Avg miles

63,593

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 16,943 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.3 points across the cohorts — newer 318 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 9,771

Pass

84.2%

Fail

12.2%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

71,022 mi

2018–2020 cohort 6,964

Pass

88.3%

Fail

10.0%

PRS

1.3%

Avg mileage at test

53,855 mi

2021+ cohort 208

Pass

86.5%

Fail

12.5%

PRS

1.0%

Avg mileage at test

40,912 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

BMW 318: solid MOT record across 10,120 tests

The BMW 318 is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 10,120 tests puts this car on an 86.2% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 55,154 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by brake pads worn below 1.5mm.

For used buyers, the 318's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 26–38

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 →

26–38

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    417 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    322 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  3. 03

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    256 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  4. 04

    A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

    178 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  5. 05

    A tyre seriously damaged

    161 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  6. 06

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    117 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  7. 07

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    96 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  8. 08

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    95 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  9. 09

    Wiper blade defective

    91 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  10. 10

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    75 occurrences · 0.4% 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

£140–£255

If every one of this 318'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.1-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW 318 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

88.3%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.3% — a 4.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 53,855 miles — roughly 17K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, less than 1.5 mm thick — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

84.2%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 84.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and has a serious fluid leak. Average mileage on test for this band is 71,022 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (84.2% pass). That's a 4.1-point spread across 9,771 older tests and 6,964 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

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Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

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

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

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Buying or keeping a 318?

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 318 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.