BMW M4 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW M4 took 11,779 MOT tests in Britain and passed 87% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 11,779
First-time pass rate: 87%
All cars: 71%

What the M4 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres7.4% (all cars 6.4%)
Suspension2.5% (all cars 9.0%)
Lights and electrics1.4% (all cars 11.3%)
Brakes0.9% (all cars 6.8%)
Number plates and VIN0.8% (all cars 0.4%)
Visibility0.8% (all cars 4.8%)
Exhaust and emissions0.7% (all cars 3.1%)
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 4.0%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 2.2%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 2.0%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 0.9%
Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements 0.7%
Headlamp aim: too high 0.6%
Tyres, condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 0.4%
Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint excessively worn 0.4%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 11.9%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 3.3%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 2.6%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.2%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.8%
Brake pads: wearing thin 1.3%
Transmission oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 0.8%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged 0.8%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2014	975	89%
2015	1,905	85%
2016	1,783	86%
2017	1,991	86%
2018	2,035	88%
2019	1,806	90%
2020	1,232	88%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	18,675 miles
4 years	24,259 miles
5 years	30,661 miles
6 years	36,298 miles
7 years	43,222 miles
8 years	50,426 miles
9 years	55,896 miles

Check a particular M4

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, 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.