MOT data
BMW i8 MOT fail rate by age and year
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 5,846 MOT tests · Updated
At 7 years, 11.1% of BMW i8 MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 20.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7 (1,720 MOT tests) [1].
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- Mileage: median 34,671 miles at 7 years against 52,953 for all class 4 vehicles, 1,720 MOT tests
- Before the mileage adjustment: 10.3% of MOT tests at 7 years ended in a fail, 1,720 MOT tests
- All ages: 5,846 MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, ages 6 to 9
Which engine and year a car has decides which of these apply. Check the reg first.
Figures are for the model, not one car, and compare with all class 4 vehicles tested at 7 in the same test year.
- Fail rate at 7 years, typical mileage
- 11.1%
- vs 20.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7
- 1,720 MOT tests
- Fail rate at 7 years, raw
- 10.3%
- vs 20.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7
- 1,720 MOT tests
- Median mileage at 7 years
- 34,671 mi
- vs 52,953 mi for all class 4 vehicles
- 1,720 MOT tests
BMW i8 MOT fail rate by age
Each line follows the cars first used in one year across the ages they were tested at from 2022 to 2025, so a line never mixes a 2005 car with a 2015 one. 6k DVSA MOT tests in all (5,846).
At 7 years and typical mileage that is 47% fewer fails than all class 4 vehicles tested at 7 (1,720 MOT tests).
| Age | Raw | Typical mileage | All class 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 9.4% | 12.8% | 17.7% |
| 7 | 10.3% | 11.1% | 20.8% |
| 8 | 10.3% | 12.0% | 23.7% |
| 9 | 11.6% | 12.9% | 26.1% |
Lower MOT fail rate than average: 10.3% raw · 11.1% at typical mileage, against 20.8% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7, 1,720 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict
What fails on a BMW i8 at 7 years
No part fails clearly more or less often than on cars the same age at 3 or more ages up to 18 years, so each is shown as about average.
| Part | Per 100 | All class 4 | Compared | Most common fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.1 | 6.0 | about average for cars the same age | Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (MOT fail) |
| Lights and electrics | 1.7 | 5.8 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Visibility | 1.6 | 3.4 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Number plates and VIN | 1.5 | 0.2 | about average for cars the same age | Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (MOT fail) |
| Body and structure | 1.2 | 1.3 | about average for cars the same age | |
| Brakes | 0.6 | 4.1 | about average for cars the same age |
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Check one BMW i8, not the average
The figures here describe BMW i8 cars as a group. A registration shows one car's own DVSA record: its MOT tests, the mileage at each test and the recall flag.
- Check a BMW i8's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
- Mileage check on a BMW i8 The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
- Check a BMW i8 for an outstanding recall Whether DVSA's MOT record flags an outstanding safety recall for that registration.
More BMW i8 data
Mileage at MOT
At 7 years, 10.3% of MOT tests ended in a fail as tested. Weighted to the mileage mix of all class 4 vehicles that age, the rate is 11.1%, so mileage explains part of the gap.
| Miles | MOT tests | BMW i8 | All class 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| <30k | 656 | 8.8% | 12.7% |
| 30-60k | 844 | 9.8% | 19.2% |
| 60-90k | 186 | 17.2% | 24.2% |
BMW i8 recalls
5 DVSA recalls list this model by name [2]. Vehicles are DVSA's count of affected BMW i8 vehicles. The latest:
- R/2020/283 Also covers the BMW i8: Remaining particles in the cells of the high voltage battery can cause a short circuit (5,330 vehicles of this model), built May 2020 to Jun 2020. From the recall's stated risk: “A possibility of impurities contained in the HV batteries may cause short circuit.”
- R/2019/289 Also covers the BMW i8: The electric motor electronics printed circuit board was not manufactured according to the specifications (120 vehicles of this model), built Feb 2019 to Mar 2019. From the recall's stated risk: “The Electric Motor Electronics (EME) printed circuit board was not manufactured according to specifications”
- R/2017/011 Also covers the BMW i8: Airbags may not deploy (668 vehicles of this model), built Oct 2016 to Nov 2016. From the recall's stated risk: “The igniter for the certain airbag modules may not have been correctly manufactured which may affect air bag deployment in the event of a collision.”
Ask the seller for proof the work was done. Check any car on GOV.UK
BMW i8 against similar cars at 7 years
Same class and fuel, all tested at 7 years, at typical mileage.
| Model | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW i8 | 11.1% | 9.4% to 13.1% | 1,720 |
| Volkswagen Scirocco MOT fail rate | 20.2% | 19.6% to 20.9% | 16,244 |
| Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT fail rate | 19.6% | 18.1% to 21.3% | 7,266 |
| Mercedes-Benz SLK MOT fail rate | 19.3% | 17.8% to 20.8% | 6,178 |
| Lexus RC MOT fail rate | 13.4% | 11.8% to 15.2% | 1,662 |
| Peugeot RCZ MOT fail rate | 24.9% | 22.1% to 27.9% | 1,370 |
| Vauxhall Cascada MOT fail rate | 23.2% | 20.8% to 25.9% | 1,345 |
Other BMW models
More BMW i8 data
Running costs
By part
Questions people ask
How often does a BMW i8 fail its MOT at 7 years?
11.1% of MOT tests at 7 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (10.3% as tested), from 1,720 MOT tests, against 20.8% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the Volkswagen Scirocco was at 20.2%.
What fails most on a BMW i8 at 7 years?
4.1 in 100 MOT tests at 7 years failed on tyres, most often "tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", then lights and electrics (1.7) and visibility (1.6), from 1,720 MOT tests.
How does the BMW i8 compare with the Volkswagen Scirocco?
At 7 years the BMW i8 failed 11.1% of MOT tests at typical mileage, the Volkswagen Scirocco 20.2% and the Mercedes-Benz SLC 19.6%, from 1,720, 16,244 and 7,266 MOT tests.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 5,846 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle safety recalls data. DVSA recall data. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
Cars tested at 7 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 7 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.