2017 BMW i3 — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 17,331 MOT tests, the 2017 BMW i3 recorded a 90.8% pass rate. Against small family cars of a similar age (11.9% fail rate), the 2017 i3 comes out 2.7pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.7%) and lighting & signalling (2.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and washers — tread depth alone was recorded 402 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.4% versus 6.5%.
Fuel type barely separates them — electric fails 8.3% of the time against 9.6% for hybrid.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.7% | 821 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 463 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.3% | 401 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.0% | 179 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.9% | 161 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.6% | 98 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 402 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 370 |
| 3 | Washers | 264 |
| 4 | Wipers | 168 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 99 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 87 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 25.9% | 4,483 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.9% | 1,888 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.0% | 689 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.2% | 550 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 2.6% | 460 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.9% | 328 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 5,421 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 7,882 | 9.1% |
| 60-90k | 2,985 | 11.7% |
| 90-120k | 775 | 16.1% |
| 120-150k | 190 | 17.9% |
| 150k+ | 73 | 27.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 12,542 | 9.6% |
| Electric | 4,786 | 8.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,441 | 6.9% |
| 2022 | 3,418 | 8.1% |
| 2023 | 3,429 | 8.8% |
| 2024 | 3,509 | 10.7% |
| 2025 | 3,534 | 11.6% |
What to check before buying a 2017 i3
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.7% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.7% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (2.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2017 BMW i3s pass their MOT?
90.8% of the 17,331 2017 BMW i3 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 BMW i3?
Tyres, recorded in 4.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.7%).
Does the 2017 i3 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.5% in the 0-30k band to 27.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 17,331 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.