What are the most common problems with a BMW I8?

At MOT, drive shaft (cv) joints is flagged more often than on other cars the same age.

What should I ask the seller before buying a used BMW I8?

Any recent work on the drive shaft (cv) joints? (Flagged at MOT 3.2× as often on the BMW I8 as on other cars the same age.) Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Used car guide · 2014–2020

BMW I8 common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used BMW I8, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 6,519 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

6,519MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model

2,278on the UK register

2014best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

What usually goes wrong with a BMW I8?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the BMW I8 in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common BMW I8 MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

Drive shaft (CV) joints
up to 3.2× usual

Stands out on cars registered in 2015 and 2016.

Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

BMW I8 MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2014 BMW I8 did best (88% passed first time, 18 points above all 2014 cars) and the 2019 did worst (92%, 7 points above all 2019 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

Year	Pass first time	All cars that year	MOT tests
2020	91%	87% +4	207 (small sample)
2019	92%	85% +7	742
2018	90%	83% +7	1,089
2017	91%	80% +11	684
2016	89%	77% +12	1,329
2015	89%	74% +15	1,886
2014	88%	70% +18	582

Questions to ask the seller before buying a BMW I8

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

Any recent work on the drive shaft (cv) joints? (Flagged at MOT 3.2× as often on the BMW I8 as on other cars the same age.)
Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a BMW I8?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score