MOT performance

BMW 4 Series petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 74,291 MOT tests on petrol BMW 4 Seriess in 2023–2024 (on average 5.6 years old at test, median 40,950 miles), 86.0% passed first time, against 83.0% of 128,966 diesel BMW 4 Series tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol BMW 4 Seriess failed 28% less often than comparable cars — 0.72× against 0.73× for the BMW 4 Series as a whole.

74,291 MOT tests on 38,423 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

BMW 4 Series petrol MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	86.0%	±0.2 pts (95%), n = 74,291
All BMW 4 Seriess	84.2%	n = 206,848
Failures vs similar cars	0.72×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; BMW 4 Series overall 0.73×
Tests with a dangerous defect	7.2%	n = 74,291
Average age at test	5.6 years	n = 74,291
Registration years covered	2013–2022	DVSA first-use date

Petrol against the other BMW 4 Series fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The petrol cars were tested 1.1 years younger on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

BMW 4 Series MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Diesel	128,966	6.7 yrs	83.0%	-28%	8.5%
Petrol	74,291	5.6 yrs	86.0%	-28%	7.2%
Hybrid	3,591	2.3 yrs	87.0%	+25%	7.6%

Where petrol BMW 4 Seriess differ

Suspension: petrol BMW 4 Seriess failed 30% less often than the BMW 4 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (0.25× vs 0.35×).
Driver's view of the road: petrol BMW 4 Seriess failed 24% less often than the BMW 4 Series overall, relative to comparable cars (0.38× vs 0.50×).

BMW 4 Series petrol MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Petrol (vs similar)	All BMW 4 Seriess (vs similar)
Tyres	8.1% (+41%)	8.5% (+36%)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	2.4% (-56%)	2.8% (-56%)
Brakes	1.8% (-53%)	2.3% (-49%)
Driver's view of the road	1.4% (-62%)	1.8% (-50%)
Suspension	0.9% (-75%)	1.7% (-65%)
Road wheels	0.6% (+194%)	0.9% (+187%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	0.5% (-66%)	0.5% (-72%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.4% (+93%)	0.5% (+79%)
Body, chassis and structure	0.1% (-86%)	0.3% (-82%)

Most common petrol BMW 4 Series failure items

Most common petrol BMW 4 Series MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	2.19%
Condition: has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	2.09%
Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure	Tyres	1.96%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	1.67%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	1.03%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

BMW 4 Series MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	petrol pass rate (tests)	diesel pass rate (tests)
3-4	87.8% (20,033)	86.3% (14,435)
5-6	86.8% (23,337)	84.9% (39,863)
7-8	84.5% (16,979)	82.3% (52,920)
9-10	81.8% (8,606)	78.6% (20,618)

BMW 4 Series by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific petrol BMW 4 Series

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.