6,260 tests in 2025
BMW 8 Series reliability and MOT pass rate
86.2% passed first time. The 13.8% fail rate is 8.8 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 5 years old with 36,314 miles.
Pass rate
86.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
36,314 mi
5 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4,089 | 13% |
| 6-9 years | 1,363 | 14.7% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 756 | 17.5% |
What the 8 Series fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres601 dangerous64.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous10.7%
- Road Wheels93 dangerous8.8%
- Brakes12 dangerous8.4%
- Visibility1 dangerous8.4%
- Suspension9 dangerous7.2%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous6.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous6.2%
Is the 8 Series getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.9 points to 13.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,365 | 3 | 14.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,280 | — | 13.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 3,988 | — | 13.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 5,248 | — | 13.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 8 Series at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 8 Series in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has ply or cords exposed187 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords169 tests
- 3Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure152 tests
- 4Condition: fractured60 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm55 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure51 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid30 tests
- 8Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements29 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 8 Series collects 2.18 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm543 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure212 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords192 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine159 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick157 tests
- 6Flexible couplings: excessively deteriorated128 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre119 tests
- 8Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened107 tests
Questions
What is the BMW 8 Series MOT pass rate?
86.2% of the 6,260 BMW 8 Series first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW 8 Series usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has ply or cords exposed", recorded on 187 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure". By section, tyres appears in 64.8% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 10.7% of failures, road wheels appears in 8.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 13%; at 14+ years it was 17.5%. The median BMW 8 Series tested in 2025 was 5 years old with 36,314 miles.
Is the BMW 8 Series getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.9 points to 13.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 8 Series trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular 8 Series?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.