MOT cost .

BMW

8 Series

5,739 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 8 Seriess pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 14.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

91.9%

Pass-after-fix

0.7%

Fail

7.2%

Avg miles

36,516

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

2 year bands · 5,690 tests

Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 8 Series examples track each other at the test bay.

2018–2020 cohort 5,335

Pass

92.0%

Fail

7.1%

PRS

0.7%

Avg mileage at test

36,411 mi

2021+ cohort 355

Pass

91.8%

Fail

7.9%

PRS

0.0%

Avg mileage at test

27,556 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

8 Series: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,913 MOT tests, the 8 Series returns 85.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. A seriously damaged tyre and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 30,571, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 44–50

A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

44–50

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    156 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    75 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  3. 03

    A tyre seriously damaged

    60 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre seriously damaged

    55 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  5. 05

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    24 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  6. 06

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    21 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  7. 07

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    19 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  8. 08

    Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel

    16 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  9. 09

    Windscreen or window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view

    16 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  10. 10

    A tyre seriously damaged

    15 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£75£130

If every one of this 8 Series's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy BMW 8 Series makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

92.0%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 92.0% — a 0.1-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has ply or cords exposed, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.

Band to be cautious about

91.8%

2021+ registration

On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 91.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a bulge, caused by separation or…, and has a lump, caused by separation or…. Average mileage on test for this band is 27,556 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (92.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (91.8% pass). That's a 0.1-point spread across 355 older tests and 5,335 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

3 UK recalls on record.

The 8 Series has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a 8 Series?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 8 Series and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.