BMW 4 Series MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 83.3% of BMW 4 Series MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 106,405 tests in Great Britain. For all cars it was 71.5%.
Compared with cars of the same age
Older cars fail more often, so a model that’s mostly a few years old will look better than one that’s mostly 12. These figures compare like with like.
At 3–5 years
87.2%
All cars: 86.1% (1.1 points better). 19,858 tests.
At 6–10 years
82.8%
All cars: 76.1% (6.7 points better). 79,745 tests.
At 11 years and over
77.1%
All cars: 61.3% (15.8 points better). 6,802 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7,067 | 88.7% | 87.8% | 28,750 miles |
| 4 | 4,833 | 87.6% | 86.4% | 33,750 miles |
| 5 | 7,958 | 85.6% | 84.5% | 43,750 miles |
| 6 | 13,605 | 85.4% | 81.9% | 51,250 miles |
| 7 | 15,473 | 84.6% | 79.3% | 61,250 miles |
| 8 | 17,970 | 84.0% | 76.3% | 73,750 miles |
| 9 | 17,614 | 81.5% | 73.1% | 81,250 miles |
| 10 | 15,083 | 78.9% | 70.0% | 86,250 miles |
| 11 | 6,611 | 77.1% | 66.9% | 93,750 miles |
| 12 | 191 | 76.4% | 64.4% | 98,750 miles |
Typical mileage is the median reading at the test, to the nearest 2,500 miles.
What fails most often
The share of BMW 4 Series MOT tests that failed on at least one item in each area, against all cars. A test can fail on several areas at once.
| Area | 4 Series | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% | 16.6% |
| Suspension | 3.5% | 13.7% |
| Brakes | 3.3% | 10.2% |
| Visibility | 2.3% | 5.2% |
| Road wheels | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.9% | 4.0% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.7% | 0.4% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 2.7% of tests
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 2.6% of tests
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 2.3% of tests
- Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure failed 1.7% of tests
- Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak failed 1.6% of tests · what this means
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick failed 1.3% of tests · what this means
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid failed 1.1% of tests · what this means
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn failed 0.8% of tests · what this means
- Headlamp aim: too low failed 0.7% of tests · what this means
- Headlamp aim: too high failed 0.7% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular 4 Series?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every 4 Series version DVSA records under this name (engines, trims and generations together), on its first MOT test of each visit. A “pass with rectification” (fixed within an hour) counts as a fail, as in DVSA’s own statistics.
- Cars under three years old are left out, because the few tested that young are mostly taxis.
- Fuel mix of the cars tested: diesel 58.7%, petrol 37.5%, electric diesel 2.4%.
- A pass rate describes the model, not any one car. How a car has been looked after matters more.
Download these figures (CSV) · Other BMW models · All makes
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data for 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our own analysis; not produced or endorsed by DVSA.