BMW I4 M50 MOT failures and reliability

The BMW I4 M50 is one of the stronger cars at the MOT: 82% of its 1,930 tests in 2025 were passed first time, 10 points better than the 72% for all cars. Half the BMW I4 M50 cars tested were registered in 2022 or later, and younger cars pass more often. That ranks it 18th of the 27 BMW models we cover. Every figure here comes from the DVSA's record of each BMW I4 M50 MOT, so it shows what testers found rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2025: 1,930
First-time pass rate: 82%
All cars: 72%

BMW I4 M50 MOT strengths and weak spots

The BMW I4 M50's weak spot is tyres: 14.5% of its tests failed there, against 6.3% for all cars.

It does best on lights and electrics, where 1.4% of BMW I4 M50 tests failed against 10.7% for all cars.

At 3 years old the average BMW I4 M50 had covered 32,075 miles, about 10,700 a year.

The single most common failure on the BMW I4 M50 was tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed, on 7.0% of tests.

What the BMW I4 M50 fails on

Share of BMW I4 M50 tests with at least one failure in each area, beside the figure for all cars.

Tyres14.5% (all cars 6.3%)
Visibility2.0% (all cars 4.4%)
Lights and electrics1.4% (all cars 10.7%)
Number plates and VIN0.8% (all cars 0.3%)
Seat belts and airbags0.2% (all cars 0.9%)
Brakes0.2% (all cars 6.3%)
Steering0.2% (all cars 2.0%)
Wheels0.2% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 7.0%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 5.0%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.8%
Tyres, condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 1.4%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.0%
Headlamp aim: too high 0.9%
Tyres, condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 0.8%
Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements 0.8%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 23.6%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 4.2%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.9%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 2.0%
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt 1.8%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged 1.5%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 1.1%
Road Wheels, condition: slightly distorted 0.7%

Check a particular BMW I4 M50

The figures above tell you what to look out for on any BMW I4 M50. For one BMW I4 M50's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration for a free MOT check.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.