2016 BMW I3 0.6L Hybrid electric · VN66 XMP

The BMW i3 presents a clean bill of health following its most recent MOT on 13 February 2026 at 170,475 miles, where it passed with zero defects. This is a marked improvement over the failed test just two weeks earlier on 29 January 2026 at 170,454 miles, where the tester flagged a serious fluid leak on the nearside rear shock absorber and reduced damping effect on the offside rear unit, alongside a nearside rear tyre worn below the 1.6mm legal minimum and an offside rear tyre worn to the legal limit on its edge. The fact that these defects were rectified before the February retest suggests the immediate suspension and tyre issues have been addressed. The maintenance trend is currently stable, though the recurrence of rear suspension faults warrants close monitoring. The mileage accumulation tells an interesting story. Between the October 2022 test at 136,162 miles and the December 2023 test at 147,511 miles, the car covered roughly 11,300 miles in just over a year. However, the jump from December 2023 to February 2026 is significantly steeper, with approximately 22,900 miles added in just over two years, averaging close to 11,500 miles annually. The most striking anomaly is the near-identical mileage recorded in both the failed January 2026 test and the passed February 2026 test, just 21 miles apart, which is entirely consistent with a retest following repairs with minimal driving in between. Overall, the annual mileage of roughly 17,000 miles is high for a vehicle of this age, placing above-average wear on consumable components, the drivetrain, and structural elements. A buyer should prioritise a thorough physical inspection of the rear suspension. The January 2026 failure specifically identified compromised shock absorbers on both sides, and while these appear to have been replaced or repaired for the February retest, any recurrence of fluid seepage, uneven ride height, or excessive bounce over speed humps would indicate the underlying issue has not been fully resolved. The rear tyres were also flagged in the same failed test, with one below the legal limit and the other worn unevenly on its edge, which could point to misalignment or worn rear suspension bushes contributing to abnormal tyre wear. Inspect the inner and outer edges of all four tyres carefully for feathering or scalloped wear patterns. The rear brake pads were noted as wearing thin in October 2022 at 136,162 miles, and given the car has now covered over 34,000 miles since that advisory, the rear brake pads and discs should be examined for remaining life. On an electric vehicle like the i3, regenerative braking can extend pad life, but the high annual mileage means consumable wear should not be assumed to be negligible. Check the condition of the rear brake discs for scoring, lipping, or thickness variation, and verify that the rear calipers are not binding, as sticking calipers would explain the uneven tyre wear observed in January 2026. A test drive over varied road surfaces will reveal any suspension knocks, clunks, or damping inconsistencies that may not be apparent during a static inspection.