MOT data by first-use year
2020 BMW 8 Series: MOT fail rate and common problems
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 5,322 MOT tests · Updated
14.3% of 2020 BMW 8 Series cars failed their MOT at 5 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2019 and 2021 cars (5,322 MOT tests) [1].
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- +2.2 to +0.3 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 3 to 5 years, 5,322 MOT tests
- 30,000 to 60,000 miles: 16.3% of BMW 8 Series cars first used 2018–2020 failed at 5 years, against 12.7% at under 30,000 miles, 2,886 MOT tests
- At 5 years (tested 2025): 14.3% failed, against 14.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2025, 1,718 MOT tests
Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.
Figures are for 2020 BMW 8 Series cars as a group, not for one car.
- Fail rate at 5 years (2025)
- 14.3%
- vs 14.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2025
- 1,718 MOT tests
- Gap to all class 4, same age and year
- +0.5 pts
- over ages 3–5: −0.9 to +2.2 pts
- 5,322 MOT tests
- Against the 2019 and 2021 cars
- −0.7 pts
- 95% range −2.9 to +1.5 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
- 5,322 MOT tests
- MOT tests of 2020 cars
- 5,322
- tested 2023–2025, 3 ages with 1,000+ tests
- 5,322 MOT tests
About the same as the 2019 and 2021 cars: −0.7 points at the same ages (3–5), each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −2.9 to +1.5, from 5,322 MOT tests of 2020 cars and 7,158 of the 2019 and 2021 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.
Every BMW 8 Series year against all class 4 vehicles the same age
2020 BMW 8 Series fail rate at each MOT
From 2023 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 5 years old, the fail rate went from 14.5% to 14.3%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from +2.2 to +0.3 points. The widest gap was at 3 years (+2.2 points, 1,833 MOT tests).
| Test year | Age | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests | All class 4, same age and year | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 years | 14.5% | 12.9%–16.1% | 1,833 | 12.3% | +2.2 pts |
| 2024 | 4 years | 12.1% | 10.7%–13.7% | 1,771 | 13.1% | −1.0 pts |
| 2025 | 5 years | 14.3% | 12.7%–16.0% | 1,718 | 14.0% | +0.3 pts |
All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.
2020 against the 2019 and 2021 cars, age by age
| Age | 2020 | Years either side |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 14.5% 1,833 MOT tests, tested 2023 | 2019: 15.7% (1,350, tested 2022) 2021: 15.5% (1,654, tested 2024) |
| 4 years | 12.1% 1,771 MOT tests, tested 2024 | 2019: 14.4% (1,325, tested 2023) 2021: 12.4% (1,561, tested 2025) |
| 5 years | 14.3% 1,718 MOT tests, tested 2025 | 2019: 15.1% (1,268, tested 2024) |
Each year was tested in a different calendar year; the verdict compares each against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year.
What fails on a BMW 8 Series at 5 years
All BMW 8 Series MOTs at 5 years, cars first used 2018–2020 (3,209 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: tyre with cords exposed (4.6 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item), tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (2.8 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (2.4 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item).
No item fails at a clearly different rate from all class 4 vehicles the same age across 3 or more ages.
Mileage and the fail rate at 5 years
BMW 8 Series cars first used 2018–2020 at 30,000 to 60,000 miles failed 16.3% of MOTs at 5 years (1,679 MOT tests), against 12.7% at under 30,000 miles (1,207 MOT tests). All class 4 vehicles: 16.2% and 11.1%.
Car tax and ULEZ for a 2020 car
A car first registered in the UK in 2020 was issued a 69 (January–February), 20 (March–August) or 70 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 20 plates
A 2020 car pays the standard rate after its first year. If its list price was over £40,000 it pays the expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6, ending in 2026. [2] Car tax calculator for a 2020 car
For the London ULEZ, a 2020 petrol usually meets Euro 4, and a 2020 diesel usually meets Euro 6. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [3] ULEZ checker
Buying a BMW 8 Series? Check that exact car before the viewing.
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Questions people ask
What is the MOT fail rate of a 2020 BMW 8 Series?
14.3% at 5 years (tested 2025), from 1,718 MOT tests, against 14.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2025.
Does the 2020 BMW 8 Series fail more MOTs than the 2019 and 2021?
0.7 percentage points apart at the same ages (3–5), each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 5,322 MOT tests (95% range −2.9 to +1.5), so about the same.
At what ages were 2020 BMW 8 Series cars MOT tested in the data?
3 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 3–5 years, tested 2023–2025, 5,322 MOT tests in all.
What fails most on a BMW 8 Series at 5 years?
4.6 in 100 MOT tests failed on tyre with cords exposed, the most common fail item (a wear item). From 3,209 MOT tests of BMW 8 Series cars first used 2018–2020, not only 2020.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 5,322 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
Cars tested at 5 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 5 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare