Pass rate, every year
91.2% Above average
887 tests across 5 model years, 2018–2022.
+10.2 pts vs the national average
BMW 218D Luxury MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2018 92.9%
The strongest of the 5 years on record. See the 2018 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 88.1%
4.8 points below the 2018 peak. See the 2021 page →
The BMW 218D Luxury MOT pass rate is 91.2%, +10.2 percentage points above the UK average. That is 887 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2018 and 2022. This page lists the most common BMW 218D Luxury MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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BMW 218D Luxury MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The BMW 218D Luxury passed on its first attempt in 90.5%, and its overall record sits +10.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 218D Luxury in the 2023–2025 data: 887 tests across 5 model years (2018–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 887 |
| Overall pass rate | 91.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 90.5% |
| Average mileage at test | 39,154 mi |
| Model years covered | 2018–2022 (5 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +10.2 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common BMW 218D Luxury MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 218D Luxury, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 33% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 23% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 20% |
| Visibility | 13% |
| Brakes | 5% |
| Suspension | 4% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1% |
Shares are over the BMW 218D Luxury's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Tyres
Around 33% of the recorded BMW 218D Luxury failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (2.9%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.4%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (0.3%) among the BMW 218D Luxury's tyres faults.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 23% of the recorded BMW 218D Luxury failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Stop lamp not working" (1.0%), "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (0.5%), "Headlamp aim too low" (0.5%) among the BMW 218D Luxury's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Noise, emissions and leaks
Around 20% of the recorded BMW 218D Luxury failures fall in the Noise, emissions and leaks section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (2.4%) among the BMW 218D Luxury's noise, emissions and leaks faults.
Top Recorded BMW 218D Luxury DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 218D Luxury, each with how many of the model's 887 tests it was noted on.
- "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 26 BMW 218D Luxury tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 21 BMW 218D Luxury tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 10 BMW 218D Luxury tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
- "Stop lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 9 BMW 218D Luxury tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 4 BMW 218D Luxury tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.
- "Headlamp aim too low" (Major) — noted on about 4 BMW 218D Luxury tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.
Best and Worst BMW 218D Luxury Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest BMW 218D Luxury model year on record is 2018 (92.9% across 141 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (88.1%). The gap between them is 4.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 218D Luxury | 61 | 91.8% |
| 2021 218D Luxury | 67 | 88.1% |
| 2020 218D Luxury | 158 | 92.4% |
| 2019 218D Luxury | 460 | 90.7% |
| 2018 218D Luxury | 141 | 92.9% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 218D Luxury Owners
These checks follow this BMW 218D Luxury's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 218D Luxury.
-
the lights — “malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
-
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 218D Luxury. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 218D Luxury MOT & Reliability
What is the BMW 218D Luxury MOT pass rate?
91.2% of the 887 recorded BMW 218D Luxury MOT tests ended in a pass, +10.2 percentage points above the national average. 90.5% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which BMW 218D Luxury model years pass the MOT most often?
2018 is the strongest BMW 218D Luxury year on record at 92.9%, while 2021 is the weakest at 88.1%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common BMW 218D Luxury MOT failures?
The most recorded BMW 218D Luxury failures are "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" — together around 5% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.