BMW
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%
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 .
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.
Pass
92.0%
Fail
7.1%
PRS
0.7%
Avg mileage at test
36,411 mi
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
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
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
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A tyre cords visible or damaged
156 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
75 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
60 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
55 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
24 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
21 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
19 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
16 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Windscreen or window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view
16 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
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
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.
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.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Recall history
The 8 Series has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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.
