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BMW 218I Luxury Auto Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free BMW 218I Luxury Auto car check

Is the BMW 218I Luxury Auto reliable? We analysed 4,329 real MOT tests across 924 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 4,329 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
90.1%
Typical Mileage
26,306mi
Annual Mileage
5,878mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
yrs

The BMW 218I Luxury Auto is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used BMW 218I Luxury Auto.

BMW 218I Luxury Auto Number Plates

Number plates registered to a BMW 218I Luxury Auto. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

BMW 218I Luxury Auto MOT Pass Rate by Year

How likely is a BMW 218I Luxury Auto to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.

89%
2021
89.1%
2020
90.3%
2019
88%
2018

BMW 218I Luxury Auto Common Faults & Problems

These are the most common serious faults found on BMW 218I Luxury Auto models during MOT testing — flagged as dangerous or major failures that need immediate attention.

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 25
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 12

BMW 218I Luxury Auto Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical BMW 218I Luxury Auto owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
3,685 mi/yr
Typical
5,878 mi/yr
Average
6,842 mi/yr
Heavy usage
8,814 mi/yr

BMW 218I Luxury Auto MOT Data by Registration Year

Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the BMW 218I Luxury Auto year you're looking at.

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
2021 163 89.0% 16,484 23,489 33,056
2020 606 89.1% 16,673 25,751 37,376
2019 2,487 90.3% 16,804 25,462 38,634
2018 807 88.0% 18,088 27,750 40,792

How Long Does a BMW 218I Luxury Auto Last?

Based on 924 BMW 218I Luxury Auto vehicles on UK roads.

Average
5.4 years
Median
6.0 years

BMW 218I Luxury Auto Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all BMW 218I Luxury Auto MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
26,306 mi
75th Percentile
39,231 mi
95th Percentile
65,431 mi
Max Recorded
166,683 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used BMW 218I Luxury Auto

Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.

Best year
2019

90.3% MOT pass rate from 2,487 tests

Year to avoid
2018

88.0% MOT pass rate from 807 tests

The best year to buy a used BMW 218I Luxury Auto is 2019, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 90.3% across 2,487 tests. The 2018 model year has the lowest pass rate at 88.0% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How Does the BMW 218I Luxury Auto Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
BMW 218I Luxury Auto THIS CAR 90.1% 4,329 26,306 mi — yrs
BMW 3 Series 75.1% 12,840,406 90,743 mi 37 yrs
BMW 118 81.5% 1,923,256 64,042 mi 22 yrs
BMW X5 77% 1,735,343 83,401 mi 25 yrs
Iveco Daily 35 S14 LWB 64.6% 3,534 127,897 mi 21 yrs

Compared to the BMW 3 Series (75.1% pass rate) and the BMW 118 (81.5% pass rate), the BMW 218I Luxury Auto outperforms both on MOT reliability.

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Should you buy a used BMW 218I Luxury Auto?

The BMW 218I Luxury Auto has an overall MOT pass rate of 90.1% across 4,329 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

On the safety side, the most frequently flagged dangerous fault is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Dangerous faults cause an immediate MOT failure and mean the vehicle is not roadworthy until repaired. If you're viewing a BMW 218I Luxury Auto with an expired or recently passed MOT, ask the seller whether any dangerous faults were found and fixed during the last test.

A typical BMW 218I Luxury Auto owner drives around 5,878 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

BMW 218I Luxury Auto — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the BMW 218I Luxury Auto reliable?
Based on 4,329 MOT tests, the BMW 218I Luxury Auto has a 90.1% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a BMW 218I Luxury Auto?
The most common failure point is general wear and tear.
How many miles does a BMW 218I Luxury Auto do per year?
The typical BMW 218I Luxury Auto does around 5,878 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a BMW 218I Luxury Auto last?
Lifespan data is not yet available for this model.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a BMW 218I Luxury Auto?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.
What is the best year to buy a BMW 218I Luxury Auto?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used BMW 218I Luxury Auto is 2019 with a 90.3% pass rate across 2,487 tests.