MOT performance

BMW i3 hybrid: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 16,759 MOT tests on hybrid BMW i3s in 2023–2024 (on average 6.4 years old at test, median 47,552 miles), 86.2% passed first time, against 88.3% of 26,737 electric BMW i3 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, hybrid BMW i3s failed 8% less often than comparable cars — 0.92× against 0.83× for the BMW i3 as a whole.

16,759 MOT tests on 8,411 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

BMW i3 hybrid MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	86.2%	±0.5 pts (95%), n = 16,759
All BMW i3s	87.5%	n = 43,497
Failures vs similar cars	0.92×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; BMW i3 overall 0.83×
Tests with a dangerous defect	4.4%	n = 16,759
Average age at test	6.4 years	n = 16,759
Registration years covered	2013–2019	DVSA first-use date

Hybrid against the other BMW i3 fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The hybrid cars were tested 2.5 years older on average than the electric ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

BMW i3 MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Electric	26,737	3.9 yrs	88.3%	-22%	3.6%
Hybrid	16,759	6.4 yrs	86.2%	-8%	4.4%

Where hybrid BMW i3s differ

Seat belts and airbags: hybrid BMW i3s failed 109% more often than the BMW i3 overall, relative to comparable cars (4.28× vs 2.05×).
Suspension: hybrid BMW i3s failed 96% more often than the BMW i3 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.64× vs 0.33×).
Lights, reflectors and electrical: hybrid BMW i3s failed 27% less often than the BMW i3 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.64× vs 0.88×).
Tyres: hybrid BMW i3s failed 23% more often than the BMW i3 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.08× vs 0.87×).

BMW i3 hybrid MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Hybrid (vs similar)	All BMW i3s (vs similar)
Tyres	5.6% (+8%)	5.6% (-13%)
Driver's view of the road	3.0% (-6%)	2.4% (-19%)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	3.0% (-36%)	3.3% (-12%)
Brakes	1.3% (-43%)	0.8% (-55%)
Suspension	1.2% (-36%)	0.7% (-67%)
Seat belts and airbags	0.8% (+328%)	0.5% (+105%)
Road wheels	0.8% (+295%)	0.5% (+183%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	0.7% (+150%)	0.3% (+140%)

Most common hybrid BMW i3 failure items

Most common hybrid BMW i3 MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	1.90%
Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	1.75%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid	Driver's view of the road	1.31%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively	Driver's view of the road	1.07%
Headlamp aim: too high	Lights, reflectors and electrical	0.79%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

BMW i3 MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	hybrid pass rate (tests)	electric pass rate (tests)
3-4	90.1% (1,715)	89.8% (13,470)
5-6	87.7% (7,201)	87.4% (4,316)
7-8	84.4% (6,090)	86.9% (1,990)
9-10	81.9% (1,742)	83.1% (1,018)

BMW i3 by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

2014 BMW i3 · 82.9%
2015 BMW i3 · 84.3%
2016 BMW i3 · 85.9%
2017 BMW i3 · 86.5%
2018 BMW i3 · 88.9%
2019 BMW i3 · 89.6%
2020 BMW i3 · 89.0%
2021 BMW i3 · 87.3%

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

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Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.