BMW 8 Series MOT pass rate & common failures
The BMW 8 Series appears in 23,246 MOT tests spanning model years 1990–2023, and 87.1% of them passed. That is 2.1 percentage points worse than coupes & convertibles of a similar age, which fail at 10.9%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst 8 Series years
Ranked across 8 Series years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2020 cars pass 89.0% of the time while 1997 cars manage 82.9%, a 6.1-point spread.
One area stands out: tyres, recorded in 8.0% of tests against 3.0% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, registration plates and catalyst emissions — headlamp aim alone was recorded 514 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 21.0% versus 10.8%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 12.6% of the time against 13.0% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 15.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 18.4% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Versions & engines
MOT records broken out by the engine designations buyers actually search for.
By model year
Every 8 Series model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 328 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 145 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 190 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 444 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 807 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 588 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 1,035 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 727 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 648 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 1,237 | 88.0% | 12.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 5,876 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 6,024 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 3,640 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 1,448 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 59 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 8.0% | 1,862 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.0% | 694 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.6% | 368 |
| 4 | Suspension | 1.6% | 366 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.5% | 340 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 283 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 205 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.7% | 172 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 514 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 274 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 270 |
| 4 | Washers | 221 |
| 5 | Ball joint dust cover | 195 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 194 |
| 7 | Wipers | 178 |
| 8 | Pins and bushes | 157 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 15.4% | 3,579 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.8% | 1,824 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.4% | 1,491 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.4% | 1,253 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.1% | 957 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.9% | 684 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 10,214 | 10.8% |
| 30-60k | 7,489 | 12.7% |
| 60-90k | 2,087 | 14.1% |
| 90-120k | 1,624 | 18.7% |
| 120-150k | 1,192 | 18.3% |
| 150k+ | 628 | 21.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 17,757 | 13.0% |
| Diesel | 5,489 | 12.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,451 | 18.4% |
| 2022 | 2,994 | 13.5% |
| 2023 | 4,881 | 12.7% |
| 2024 | 6,338 | 12.2% |
| 2025 | 7,582 | 12.4% |
What to check before buying a BMW 8 Series
- Tyres (8.0% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (3.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (1.6% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW 8 Series?
87.1% of the 23,246 BMW 8 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.9% fail rate, across model years 1990–2023.
What does the BMW 8 Series most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 8.0% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.0%).
Which 8 Series years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 89.0% and 1997 the weakest at 82.9%, from 6,024 and 1,035 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 8 Series MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.0% for 150k+, a 10.2-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol 8 Series more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 12.6% of the time against 13.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 23,246 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.