2025 MOT results
BMW 8 Series common problems
The most common reason a BMW 8 Series fails its MOT is a tyre worn through to the cords, on 19.7% of its 1,037 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a road wheels fractured at 6.2% of failures against 0.5% expected; a bulge in a tyre at 16.3% of failures against 3.1% expected; a non-standard number plate at 3.8% of failures against 1.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 6,736 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 15.4% 1,037 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 25.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a BMW 8 Series MOT
Each bar is the share of failed BMW 8 Series tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 19.7% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 17.7% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 16.3% |
| Road wheels: fractured Road wheels | 6.2% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.9% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 5.7% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.1% |
| Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements Identification of the vehicle | 3.8% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 3.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 2.5% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Tyre worn through to the cords
19.7% of failures 7.1% expected 2.8 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Cut tyre
17.7% of failures 12.5% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Bulge in a tyre
16.3% of failures 3.1% expected 5.3 times as often
A bulge in the sidewall, where the casing inside the tyre has failed after an impact.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
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Tyre worn below the legal limit
5.9% of failures 9.8% expected 1.7 times less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
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Torn tyre
5.7% of failures 2.1% expected 2.7 times as often
A tear in the tyre where its structure has partly failed.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a BMW 8 Series, on 60.2% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 35.6%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 60.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.6% |
| Visibility | 8.5% |
| Road wheels | 7.9% |
| Brakes | 7.6% |
| Suspension | 6.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
25.5% of BMW 8 Series tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On BMW 8 Series, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 10.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 3.5% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 3.1% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 2.5% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.5% |
| Flexible couplings: slightly deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | 2.1% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 1.7% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 1.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 1.2% |
| Fuel pipes corroded Non-component advisories | 0.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
BMW 8 Series problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a BMW 8 Series?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” is the most common: it appears on 19.7% of failed BMW 8 Series tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 60.2% of failed tests.
How often does a BMW 8 Series fail its MOT?
15.4% of BMW 8 Series tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 6,736 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 43 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a BMW 8 Series than on other cars?
Yes. “Road wheels: fractured” appears on 6.2% of its failures against 0.5% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” appears on 16.3% of its failures against 3.1% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a BMW 8 Series aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 6,736 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.