89.8%
BMW i8
BMW i8 MOT pass rate and common problems
The BMW i8 passed 89.8% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 17.5 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the i8 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
79.3%
BMW average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The i8 runs 10.5 points ahead of the BMW average. It is 2nd of the 28 BMW models in the data. The average i8 arrived at its test 8.5 years old with 42,563 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
i8 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
BMW i8 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 94.4% of MOT tests. For cars aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 89.2%, a drop of 5.2 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 196 | 94.4% | 22.1 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 1,915 | 89.2% | 16.9 pts above |
| 11 years and over (small sample) | 31 | 96.8% | 24.5 pts above |
That is a smaller decline than most cars show. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where i8 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on BMW i8 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and identification of the vehicle together account for 51.2% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common i8 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on BMW i8 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 74.7% of everything testers recorded against failed BMW i8 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a i8
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords. 33.9% of failure items.
2
Identification of the vehicle
Recorded most often: registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements. 11.3% of failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: headlamp aim too high and side repeaters not working. 8.5% of failure items.
4
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively and washers not working. 7.7% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific i8 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used BMW i8 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
BMW i8 MOT FAQs
What is the BMW i8 MOT pass rate?
89.8% of BMW i8 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 2,142 tests. That is 17.5 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 45th of 575 models.
What does a BMW i8 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on BMW i8 cars failing their 2025 MOT was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, on 27% of failure items. Next were 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%).
Which area causes the most BMW i8 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 39.4%, followed by identification of the vehicle at 11.9%.
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, against 89.2% for cars aged 6 to 10 years.
Does this mean every BMW i8 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every BMW i8 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific BMW i8's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.