103,524 tests in 2025
BMW 4 Series reliability and MOT pass rate
85.6% passed first time. The 14.4% fail rate is 8.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 63,614 miles.
Pass rate
85.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
63,614 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 17,290 | 10.5% |
| 6-9 years | 56,378 | 13.6% |
| 10-13 years | 29,562 | 18.1% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the 4 Series fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres8,301 dangerous54.5%
- Suspension75 dangerous18.4%
- Brakes1,511 dangerous15.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12 dangerous14.3%
- Visibility3 dangerous9.7%
- Road Wheels548 dangerous5.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous4.3%
- Identification of the vehicle2.4%
Is the 4 Series getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.3 points to 14.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 96,505 | — | 12.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 98,596 | — | 13.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 89,351 | — | 14.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 99,496 | — | 14.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 4 Series at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 4 Series in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has ply or cords exposed2,320 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords2,075 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,888 tests
- 4Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,610 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak1,391 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,110 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid729 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn512 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 4 Series collects 2.12 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm16,490 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick7,527 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened6,148 tests
- 4Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)4,020 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak3,349 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn3,245 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,469 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm2,392 tests
Questions
What is the BMW 4 Series MOT pass rate?
85.6% of the 103,524 BMW 4 Series first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW 4 Series usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has ply or cords exposed", recorded on 2,320 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 54.5% of failures, suspension appears in 18.4% of failures, brakes appears in 15.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.5%; at 10-13 years it was 18.1%. The median BMW 4 Series tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 63,614 miles.
Is the BMW 4 Series getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.3 points to 14.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 4 Series trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 9 safety recalls naming the BMW 4 Series: BMW 4 Series recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular 4 Series?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.