1,948 tests in 2025
BMW I8 reliability and MOT pass rate
91% passed first time. The 9% fail rate is 13.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 39,881 miles.
Pass rate
91%
22.6% of all cars failed; 9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
39,881 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 65 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1,152 | 8.6% |
| 10-13 years | 731 | 9.4% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the I8 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.
- Tyres104 dangerous47.4%
- Visibility1 dangerous16.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment11.4%
- Identification of the vehicle10.9%
- Body, chassis, structure10.3%
- Brakes16 dangerous9.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4.6%
- Road Wheels4 dangerous4%
Is the I8 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,204 | 6 | 8.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,292 | 7 | 8.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,824 | 8 | 9.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,948 | 9 | 9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical I8 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 I8 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm56 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords19 tests
- 3Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements18 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt15 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively14 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick12 tests
- 7Washers: not working8 tests
- 8Side repeaters: not working8 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical I8 collects 2.14 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 1.6mm312 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick93 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure72 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened71 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm42 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre26 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords18 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn17 tests
Questions
What is the BMW I8 MOT pass rate?
91% of the 1,948 BMW I8 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW I8 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 56 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements". By section, tyres appears in 47.4% of failures, visibility appears in 16.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 11.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.8%; at 10-13 years it was 9.4%. The median BMW I8 tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 39,881 miles.
Is the BMW I8 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 I8 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 5 safety recalls naming the BMW I8: BMW I8 recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular I8?
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.