BMW M4: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW M4 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 11 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 11,472 individual BMW M4 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 87.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 12 in every 100 BMW M4s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average BMW M4 tested had covered 42,100 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW M4 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific BMW M4 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged BMW M4s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW M4

1. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.5% of tests (3.27x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.8% of tests (2.3x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.5% of tests
4. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.4% of tests
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 0.6% of tests
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.4% of tests
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.4% of tests
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.2% of tests
9. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.2% of tests
10. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 0.1% of tests

From 34,310 DVSA-tracked BMW M4 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 9.92% of these flagged BMW M4 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW M4 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each BMW M4 year:

• 2014 BMW M4 - 88.4% first-time pass, 938 tests
• 2015 BMW M4 - 89% first-time pass, 1,881 tests
• 2016 BMW M4 - 87.9% first-time pass, 1,747 tests
• 2017 BMW M4 - 86.9% first-time pass, 1,956 tests
• 2018 BMW M4 - 88% first-time pass, 2,025 tests
• 2019 BMW M4 - 89.5% first-time pass, 1,756 tests
• 2020 BMW M4 - 89.1% first-time pass, 1,081 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• DS DS 3 Crossback Ultra Prstge Ev - 87.8%
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque D Auto - 87.8%
• BMW 320 - 87.7%
• BMW 7 Series - 87.7%
• Audi A3 S Line 40 Tfsi E S-A - 87.7%
• Polestar Polestar 2 Pilot Plus Ev Awd - 87.7%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate