BMW 8 Series, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
7,415 BMW 8 Series are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 84.7% of initial MOT tests, 12.4 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 8 Series? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW 8 Series at the MOT
84.7% of 6,794 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 8 Series 123rd of 575 models. BMW 8 Series aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 79%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
BMW 8 Series tests in 2025.
Where 8 Series fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW 8 Series tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were condition has ply or cords exposed (14.2%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (11.5%) and condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (9.7%).
The MOT page lists every common 8 Series MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 8 Series's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.47.7% of 8 Series failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.12% of 8 Series failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.8% of 8 Series failure items
BMW 8 Series in the UK
7,415 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 265% since the end of 2019.
- Change since 2019
- +265%from 2,031 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2021half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2021 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 281against 1,937 in 2020
- Declared off the road
- 1,23814% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW 8 Series since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 919 |
| End of 2015 | 858 |
| End of 2016 | 792 |
| End of 2017 | 754 |
| End of 2018 | 973 |
| End of 2019 | 2,031 |
| End of 2020 | 3,879 |
| End of 2021 | 5,347 |
| End of 2022 | 6,293 |
| End of 2023 | 6,933 |
| End of 2024 | 7,162 |
| End of 2025 | 7,334 |
| End of June 2026 | 7,415 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW 8 Series by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 381 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 243 | 281 |
| 2024 | 358 | 405 |
| 2023 | 780 | 845 |
| 2022 | 1,035 | 1,201 |
| 2021 | 1,378 | 1,631 |
| 2020 | 1,483 | 1,937 |
| 2019 | 804 | 1,366 |
| 2018 | 179 | 249 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 | 2 |
| 2014 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 |
8 Series engines and fuel
3.0 litre engines made up 78% of BMW 8 Series MOT tests in 2025, followed by 4.4 litre at 17%. Petrol accounts for 84% of licensed 8 Series and diesel for 13%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 6,794 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 8 Series
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,193 | 84% |
| Diesel | 989 | 13% |
| Hybrid electric | 233 | 3% |
BMW 8 Series recalls
5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW 8 Series. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 8 Series is affected.
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Aug 2022 R/2022/255
Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- The engine management control unit (DDE) will be programmed with improved software incorporating the latest OBD functionality.
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Mar 2021 R/2021/085
Affected vehicles may be fitted with brake discs which are not to specification
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may be fitted with brake discs which were not produced according to the specifications
- Remedy
- On the affected vehicles the brake discs will be checked and if necessary replaced
-
Feb 2021 R/2021/054
The integrated brake system hydraulic unit may have been produced incorrectly
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace the Integrated Brake system hydraulic unit.
-
Apr 2020 R/2020/120
The cable lengths for the electric connection of the hall sensor inside the seatbelt buckle could be too short
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The cable lengths for the electric connection of the hall sensor integrated inside the seatbelt buckle could be too short.
- Remedy
- R; The front seat belt buckles will be checked and replaced if they are found to be faulty.
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Jul 2019 R/2019/369
The flange of the high pressure fuel pumps may not have been attached to the cylinder head correctly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The flange of the HPFP may not have been attached to the cylinder head according to specifications.
- Remedy
- Both High Pressure Fuel Pumps will be replaced.
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the 8 Series's 84.7% MOT pass rate.
BMW 8 Series FAQs
How many BMW 8 Series are there in the UK?
7,415 BMW 8 Series were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,238 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW 8 Series reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 84.7% first-time pass rate for the BMW 8 Series across 6,794 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the BMW 8 Series had any recalls?
5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW 8 Series. The most recent was published in August 2022. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used BMW 8 Series?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a BMW 8 Series's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an 8 Series?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.