BMW 8 Series MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 84.9% of BMW 8 Series MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 5,919 tests in Great Britain. For all cars it was 71.5%.
Compared with cars of the same age
Older cars fail more often, so a model that’s mostly a few years old will look better than one that’s mostly 12. These figures compare like with like.
At 3–5 years
86.1%
All cars: 86.1% (0 points better). 4,372 tests.
At 6–10 years
84.0%
All cars: 76.1% (7.9 points better). 707 tests.
At 11 years and over
78.9%
All cars: 61.3% (17.6 points better). 802 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1,252 | 88.2% | 87.8% | 28,750 miles |
| 4 | 1,715 | 85.9% | 86.4% | 33,750 miles |
| 5 | 1,405 | 84.6% | 84.5% | 38,750 miles |
| 6 | 707 | 84.0% | 81.9% | 43,750 miles |
| 20+ | 802 | 78.9% | 61.4% | 103,750 miles |
Typical mileage is the median reading at the test, to the nearest 2,500 miles.
What fails most often
The share of BMW 8 Series MOT tests that failed on at least one item in each area, against all cars. A test can fail on several areas at once.
| Area | 8 Series | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 12.9% | 8.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.5% | 16.6% |
| Suspension | 2.4% | 13.7% |
| Brakes | 1.9% | 10.2% |
| Visibility | 1.5% | 5.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.4% | 4.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.2% | 4.2% |
| Road wheels | 1.1% | 0.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 4.0% of tests
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 3.0% of tests
- Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure failed 2.6% of tests
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 1.2% of tests
- Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure failed 1.2% of tests
- Headlamp aim: too high failed 1.0% of tests · what this means
- Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements failed 1.0% of tests · what this means
- Headlamp aim: too low failed 0.9% of tests · what this means
- Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 0.7% of tests · what this means
- Condition: fractured failed 0.7% of tests
Checking a particular 8 Series?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every 8 Series version DVSA records under this name (engines, trims and generations together), on its first MOT test of each visit. A “pass with rectification” (fixed within an hour) counts as a fail, as in DVSA’s own statistics.
- Cars under three years old are left out, because the few tested that young are mostly taxis.
- Fuel mix of the cars tested: petrol 78.4%, diesel 18.0%, electric diesel 3.5%.
- A pass rate describes the model, not any one car. How a car has been looked after matters more.
Download these figures (CSV) · Other BMW models · All makes
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data for 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our own analysis; not produced or endorsed by DVSA.