MOT fail rates by first-use year

2014 BMW i3 MOT fail rate and common faults

How BMW i3 cars first used in 2014 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 4,788 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 11 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 11 (n=1,175)20.6%

All cars at 11 years (n=8,087,514)33.3%

Difference−12.7 pts

MOT tests of 2014 cars, 2022 to 20254,788

What stands out

In 2025, at 11 years old, BMW i3 cars first used in 2014 failed 20.6% of MOTs (1,175 tests), 12.7 points below the 33.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 8 to 11 years old, the fail rate moved from 14.5% to 20.6%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the BMW i3 at 11 years, is coil spring broken, at 1.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

BMW i3 cars first used in 2014: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	8 years	14.5%	1,209	23.8%	−9.3 pts
2023	9 years	16.4%	1,212	27.1%	−10.7 pts
2024	10 years	17.8%	1,192	30.3%	−12.5 pts
2025	11 years	20.6%	1,175	33.3%	−12.7 pts

Most common faults at 11 years

These figures cover all BMW i3 MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2013 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=1,292). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	3.2	1.9
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	2.3	1.3
Coil spring broken	1.8	3.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	1.7	2.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=1,292). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	17.0	8.7
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	16.6	10.0
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	15.5	17.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	6.6	7.8
Road wheel condition: slightly distorted	3.4	1.0
Coil spring: corroded	2.8	3.8
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt	2.1	2.1
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre	1.9	1.9
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	1.9	2.3
Shock absorber misting oil	1.9	3.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=1,292). A test with two items counts once for each.

Car tax rules for a 2014 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.
Electric cars have paid vehicle tax since 1 April 2025, under the rules for their registration date.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
Fully electric cars do not pay the ULEZ charge.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the BMW i3

2015 BMW i3

Other BMW models first used in 2014

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
BMW 3 Series (2014)	11 years in 2025	24.2%	31,493	33.3%
BMW 1 Series (2014)	11 years in 2025	26.4%	30,261	33.3%
BMW 5 Series (2014)	11 years in 2025	18.9%	15,720	33.3%
BMW 4 Series (2014)	11 years in 2025	22.2%	12,349	33.3%
BMW X1 (2014)	11 years in 2025	26.6%	7,730	33.3%
BMW X3 (2014)	11 years in 2025	26.3%	6,069	33.3%
BMW 2 Series (2014)	11 years in 2025	25.0%	5,263	33.3%
BMW X5 (2014)	11 years in 2025	15.4%	5,179	33.3%

More on the BMW i3

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2014 BMW i3 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.