89.8%
BMW i8 pass rate
Used BMW i8 buying guide
In 2025, BMW i8 cars passed 89.8% of 2,142 initial MOT tests, 17.5 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific i8? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW i8 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+17.5
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the i8 sits 45th of 575 models in the data. BMW as a brand averaged 79.3%, so this model runs 10.5 points ahead of its own brand. BMW i8 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 94.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 89.2%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full BMW i8 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the i8 compares with similar cars.
i8 fuel types
Hybrid electric was the most common fuel among BMW i8 cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the i8 fails its MOT
Where BMW i8 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (27%), registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements (11.3%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (6.9%). See every common i8 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every BMW i8 that failed, not a claim that every i8 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used i8?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 39.4% of i8 failure items.
2
Identification of the vehicle
Match the number plates and VIN to the V5C logbook, and check the plates are legal. 11.9% of i8 failure items.
3
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. 11.9% of i8 failure items.
4
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 11.3% of i8 failure items.
5
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 8% of i8 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing BMW i8 failures cluster around tyres and identification of the vehicle tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact i8 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the BMW history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the i8.
Used BMW i8 FAQs
Is the BMW i8 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 89.8% first-time pass rate for the BMW i8 across 2,142 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older BMW i8 cars fail their MOT more often?
BMW i8 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 94.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 89.2%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used BMW i8?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, identification of the vehicle and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a BMW i8'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.