Used car guide

2015 BMW I3: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2015 BMW I3s, from 1,890 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,890MOT tests in 2025
82%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
6,100typical miles a year
2.8×the usual rate for wheels

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2015 BMW I3s than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Wheels2.8× usual
    BMW I3
    3.4% All 2015 cars
    1.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.7%, against 0.4% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

Better than most

Shock absorbers: 1.7% here, against 5.2% of all 2015 cars.

By area

The share of 2015 BMW I3 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    31% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    19% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    10% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    9% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    8% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    1% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Looking at a BMW I3?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20222,911Tyres 24%
20213,503Tyres 27%
20204,111Tyres 29%
20194,050Tyres 30%
20183,108Tyres 28%
20173,170Tyres 30%
20162,157Tyres 32%
20141,171Tyres 34%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2015 BMW I3s registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score