Pass rate, every year
91.7% Above average
6,913 tests across 7 model years, 2014–2020.
+10.7 pts vs the national average
BMW I8 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2019 93.4%
The strongest of the 7 years on record. See the 2019 page →
Worst year to buy
2014 91.0%
2.4 points below the 2019 peak. See the 2014 page →
The BMW I8 MOT pass rate is 91.7%, +10.7 percentage points above the UK average. That is 6,913 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2014 and 2020. This page lists the most common BMW I8 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how BMW I8 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
BMW I8 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The BMW I8 passed on its first attempt in 91.1%, and its overall record sits +10.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW I8 in the 2023–2025 data: 6,913 tests across 7 model years (2014–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 6,913 |
| Overall pass rate | 91.7% |
| Passed on first attempt | 91.1% |
| Average mileage at test | 35,589 mi |
| Model years covered | 2014–2020 (7 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +10.7 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common BMW I8 MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW I8, the Visibility section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Visibility | 28% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 26% |
| Tyres | 25% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2% |
| Brakes | 2% |
| Road Wheels | 1% |
Shares are over the BMW I8's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Visibility
Around 28% of the recorded BMW I8 failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.3%), "Wipers blade defective" (1.0%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.7%) among the BMW I8's visibility faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 26% of the recorded BMW I8 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (2.3%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.6%) among the BMW I8's body, chassis, structure faults.
Tyres
Around 25% of the recorded BMW I8 failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.8%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (0.7%), "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (0.1%) among the BMW I8's tyres faults.
Top Recorded BMW I8 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW I8, each with how many of the model's 6,913 tests it was noted on.
- "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 157 BMW I8 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 125 BMW I8 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 93 BMW I8 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 67 BMW I8 tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements" (Major) — noted on about 57 BMW I8 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 51 BMW I8 tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
Best and Worst BMW I8 Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest BMW I8 model year on record is 2019 (93.4% across 784 tests), and the weakest is 2014 (91.0%). The gap between them is 2.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 I8 | 222 | 92.3% |
| 2019 I8 | 784 | 93.4% |
| 2018 I8 | 1,138 | 92.0% |
| 2017 I8 | 722 | 92.1% |
| 2016 I8 | 1,403 | 91.2% |
| 2015 I8 | 2,023 | 91.2% |
| 2014 I8 | 621 | 91.0% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW I8 Owners
These checks follow this BMW I8's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW I8.
-
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
-
the wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW I8. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: BMW I8 MOT & Reliability
What is the BMW I8 MOT pass rate?
91.7% of the 6,913 recorded BMW I8 MOT tests ended in a pass, +10.7 percentage points above the national average. 91.1% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which BMW I8 model years pass the MOT most often?
2019 is the strongest BMW I8 year on record at 93.4%, while 2014 is the weakest at 91.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common BMW I8 MOT failures?
The most recorded BMW I8 failures are "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" and "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" — together around 4% of tests, mostly in the Body, chassis, structure section.