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BMW 4 Series, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

119,565 BMW 4 Series are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 83.6% of initial MOT tests, 11.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific 4 Series? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

BMW 4 Series at the MOT

83.6% of 111,945 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 4 Series 148th of 575 models. BMW 4 Series aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 77%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • BMW 4 Series83.6%
  • All BMW modelsThe 4 Series is 4.3 pts ahead79.3%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

BMW 4 Series tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years19,858 tests87.2%
  • 6 to 10 years79,745 tests82.8%
  • 11 years and over6,802 tests77%

Where 4 Series fail

Share of all failure items recorded on BMW 4 Series tests in 2025.

  • Tyres40%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15.9%
  • Suspension12.3%
  • Brakes11.5%
  • Visibility7.9%

The items testers recorded most often were condition has ply or cords exposed (9.7%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (9.3%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (8.7%).

The MOT page lists every common 4 Series MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full BMW 4 Series MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The 4 Series's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.40% of 4 Series failure items

  2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.15.9% of 4 Series failure items

  3. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.12.3% of 4 Series failure items

BMW 4 Series in the UK

119,565 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 230% since the end of 2015.

Change since 2015
+230%from 36,189 licensed
Typical year of first use
2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
First registered in 2025
2,815against 21,299 in 2016
Declared off the road
2,8672.3% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed BMW 4 Series since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201415,597
End of 201536,189
End of 201655,890
End of 201773,394
End of 201888,011
End of 201996,436
End of 202099,850
End of 2021105,763
End of 2022113,033
End of 2023116,143
End of 2024117,723
End of 2025119,210
End of June 2026119,565

How old they are

Licensed BMW 4 Series by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20251,8962,815
20242,7083,548
20233,3884,743
20225,2577,540
20215,4607,186
20204,2224,916
20199,93911,135
201814,95617,018
201716,90219,691
201618,08221,299
201517,58521,273
201411,961
20131,473

17,585 4 Series first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 83% of the 21,273 first registered that year.

4 Series engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 72% of BMW 4 Series MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.0 litre at 28%. Diesel accounts for 51% of licensed 4 Series and petrol for 41%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 111,944 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre72.4%
  • 3.0 litre27.6%

Fuel type, licensed 4 Series

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol48,83341%
Diesel61,56151%
Hybrid electric9,1708%
Gas1<0.1%

BMW 4 Series recalls

23 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW 4 Series. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 4 Series is affected.

  1. Mar 2026 R/2026/054

    Replace the Engine Starter Motor

    4 Series built Aug 2020 to May 2025 · 51,053 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The Safety Recall relates to the engine starter motor. The fault relates to the RSW22 starter RWT (reinforced water tightness). It was found that with RWT starters an increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can cause the growth of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn may increase the relay contact resistance resulting in false starts or even causing short circuits and possibly a thermal reaction. In case of a short circuit the possibility of a thermal event cannot be excluded. This may happen while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibrations causing a short circuit due to moving deposits.
    Remedy
    On the affected vehicles the starter motor will be replaced with a variant by another supplier with a different design. Until the repair has been completed it is recommended to not leave the vehicle running unattended after starting the engine.

  2. Dec 2025 R/2025/349

    Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)

    4 Series built Jun 2013 to Oct 2017 · 71,635 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
    Remedy
    Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.

  3. Oct 2025 R/2025/405

    Replace the Engine Starter Motor

    4 Series built Dec 2019 to Jul 2020 · 115,024 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For affected vehicles there is a concern involving water ingress and corrosion to the starter motor for where a short circuit cannot be ruled out. It is strongly recommended to park the vehicle outdoors and not in the immediate vicinity of buildings until the repair has been carried out.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the starter motor.

  4. Oct 2025 R/2025/407

    Screw Connection of the Power Supply

    4 Series built Jul 2025 · 1 vehicle across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the screw connection on the B+ power distributor in the vehicle's boot may have not been properly tightened.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles the connections will be reworked.

  5. Oct 2024 R/2024/403

    Check Driver's Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5

    4 Series built May 2013 to Nov 2017 · 576,269 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may have had a retrofit or conversion of the airbag using a previously recalled airbag variant which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury possibly fatal to people in the vicinity. The original factory fitment airbag for the vehicle is not affected.
    Remedy
    Vehicles will have the airbag checked and if necessary replaced.

  6. Mar 2023 R/2023/071

    On certain vehicles the Body Domain Controller (BDC) control unit may have an incorrect setting applied to it

    4 Series built Aug 2021 to Sep 2022 · 538 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Conduct a check of the settings and if necessary perform a reset on the BDC control unit.

  7. Jan 2023 R/2023/016

    A possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture

    4 Series built May 2013 to Jun 2017 · 333,284 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A possible degradation of airbag propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles the drivers airbag module will be replaced.

  8. Aug 2022 R/2022/255

    Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold

    4 Series built Nov 2014 to Oct 2021 · 322,745 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    The engine management control unit (DDE) will be programmed with improved software incorporating the latest OBD functionality.
How to check a specific 4 Series for recalls

Other BMW models

The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the 4 Series's 83.6% MOT pass rate.

All 28 BMW models

BMW 4 Series FAQs

How many BMW 4 Series are there in the UK?

119,565 BMW 4 Series were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,867 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the BMW 4 Series reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 83.6% first-time pass rate for the BMW 4 Series across 111,945 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the BMW 4 Series had any recalls?

23 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW 4 Series. The most recent was published in March 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used BMW 4 Series?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a BMW 4 Series's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a 4 Series?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.