Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 44,266 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.9 points across the cohorts — newer I3 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 17,148

Pass

86.7%

Fail

10.7%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

55,618 mi

2018–2020 cohort 19,905

Pass

90.8%

Fail

6.8%

PRS

2.1%

Avg mileage at test

31,086 mi

2021+ cohort 7,213

Pass

89.6%

Fail

6.3%

PRS

3.8%

Avg mileage at test

19,749 mi

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

The picture

BMW I3: solid MOT record across 21,917 tests

The BMW I3 is a electric-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 21,917 tests puts this car on an 88.7% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 36,457 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by damaged tyre sidewall or structure.

The BMW I3 still looks and feels modern nearly a decade on, with a cleverly-designed and classy interior, enjoyable driving experience and good acceleration. Its range, ride quality and practicality do mark it out as an older model now, however.

For used buyers, the I3'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 24–30

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 →

24–30

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

777 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
02

A tyre seriously damaged

675 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
03

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

482 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
04

Wiper blade defective

342 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
05

A tyre cords visible or damaged

220 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
06

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

204 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
07

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

170 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
08

A tyre seriously damaged

162 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
09

A tyre seriously damaged

156 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

139 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

£140–£235

If every one of this I3'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 4.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW I3 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

90.8%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.8% — a 4.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 31,086 miles — roughly 25K 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. 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

86.7%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.8% 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 cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 55,618 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.7% pass). That's a 4.2-point spread across 17,148 older tests and 19,905 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

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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 →

EV King · affiliate

EV charging & accessories

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

EV Charging Cables

8M - 32amp (3 Phase)- Blaupunkt Type 2 Charging Cable 32amp - 3 Phase (22kW) 8M

£329.00

View at EV King →

EV Charging Cables

15M - 32amp -Type 2 to Type 2 Charging Cable Type 2 to Type 2 15M 32amp (7.4kW)

£315.00

View at EV King →

EV Charging Cables

3 Pin to Type 2 - 10M - Range Rover Evoque Charging Cable 3 Pin to Type 2 10M 6-12amp Adjustable (2.3kW)

£297.00

View at EV King →

EV Charging Cables

3 Pin to Type 2 - 10M - Range Rover Sport Charging Cable 3 Pin to Type 2 10M 6-12amp Adjustable (2.3kW)

£297.00

View at EV King →

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.

Get a quote →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Recall history

7 UK recalls on record.

The I3 has 7 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an I3?

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 an I3 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.