Does the BMW 8 Series fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The BMW 8 Series records 1.35 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.52 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.17, 95% interval −1.41 to −0.92). It ranks 380 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a BMW 8 Series by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the BMW 8 Series is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 88 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 88 | 0.55 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 45 | 0.28 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 44 | 0.27 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 16,114 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
BMW 8 Series 2018 · BMW 8 Series 2019 · BMW 8 Series 2020 · BMW 8 Series by postcode area · BMW 8 Series body, chassis and structure failures · BMW 8 Series brakes failures · BMW 8 Series vehicle identification failures · BMW 8 Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · BMW 8 Series noise, emissions and leaks failures · BMW 8 Series road wheels failures · BMW 8 Series seat belts and airbags failures · BMW 8 Series suspension failures · BMW 8 Series tyres failures · BMW 8 Series visibility failures