MOT data by first-use year
2021 BMW 8 Series: MOT fail rate and common problems
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 3,215 MOT tests · Updated
12.4% of 2021 BMW 8 Series cars failed their MOT at 4 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2020 and 2022 cars (3,215 MOT tests) [1].
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- +3.1 to −0.3 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 3 to 4 years, 3,215 MOT tests
- 30,000 to 60,000 miles: 13.7% of BMW 8 Series cars first used 2018–2021 failed at 4 years, against 11.9% at under 30,000 miles, 4,612 MOT tests
- At 4 years (tested 2025): 12.4% failed, against 12.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 4 years in 2025, 1,561 MOT tests
Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.
Figures are for 2021 BMW 8 Series cars as a group, not for one car.
- Fail rate at 4 years (2025)
- 12.4%
- vs 12.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 4 years in 2025
- 1,561 MOT tests
- Gap to all class 4, same age and year
- +1.4 pts
- over ages 3–4: −0.3 to +3.1 pts
- 3,215 MOT tests
- Against the 2020 and 2022 cars
- +0.3 pts
- 95% range −1.9 to +2.5 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
- 3,215 MOT tests
- MOT tests of 2021 cars
- 3,215
- tested 2024–2025, 2 ages with 1,000+ tests
- 3,215 MOT tests
About the same as the 2020 and 2022 cars: +0.3 points at the same ages (3–4), each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −1.9 to +2.5, from 3,215 MOT tests of 2021 cars and 4,820 of the 2020 and 2022 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.
Every BMW 8 Series year against all class 4 vehicles the same age
2021 BMW 8 Series fail rate at each MOT
From 2024 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 4 years old, the fail rate went from 15.5% to 12.4%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from +3.1 to −0.3 points. The widest gap was at 3 years (+3.1 points, 1,654 MOT tests).
| Test year | Age | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests | All class 4, same age and year | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 years | 15.5% | 13.8%–17.3% | 1,654 | 12.4% | +3.1 pts |
| 2025 | 4 years | 12.4% | 10.9%–14.2% | 1,561 | 12.7% | −0.3 pts |
All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.
2021 against the 2020 and 2022 cars, age by age
| Age | 2021 | Years either side |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 15.5% 1,654 MOT tests, tested 2024 | 2020: 14.5% (1,833, tested 2023) 2022: 15.9% (1,216, tested 2025) |
| 4 years | 12.4% 1,561 MOT tests, tested 2025 | 2020: 12.1% (1,771, 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 4 years
All BMW 8 Series MOTs at 4 years, cars first used 2018–2021 (4,894 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: tyre with cords exposed (4.0 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 (2.7 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 4 years
BMW 8 Series cars first used 2018–2021 at 30,000 to 60,000 miles failed 13.7% of MOTs at 4 years (2,073 MOT tests), against 11.9% at under 30,000 miles (2,539 MOT tests). All class 4 vehicles: 15.5% and 10.2%.
Car tax and ULEZ for a 2021 car
A car first registered in the UK in 2021 was issued a 70 (January–February), 21 (March–August) or 71 (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. 21 plates
A 2021 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 (to 2027). [2] Car tax calculator for a 2021 car
For the London ULEZ, a 2021 petrol usually meets Euro 4, and a 2021 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 2021 BMW 8 Series?
12.4% at 4 years (tested 2025), from 1,561 MOT tests, against 12.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 4 years in 2025.
Does the 2021 BMW 8 Series fail more MOTs than the 2020 and 2022?
0.3 percentage points apart at the same ages (3–4), each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 3,215 MOT tests (95% range −1.9 to +2.5), so about the same.
At what ages were 2021 BMW 8 Series cars MOT tested in the data?
2 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 3–4 years, tested 2024–2025, 3,215 MOT tests in all.
What fails most on a BMW 8 Series at 4 years?
4.0 in 100 MOT tests failed on tyre with cords exposed, the most common fail item (a wear item); the most common non-wear item was road wheel condition: fractured (0.4 in 100). From 4,894 MOT tests of BMW 8 Series cars first used 2018–2021, not only 2021.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 3,215 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 4 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 4 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