84%
BMW i4 pass rate
Used BMW i4 buying guide
In 2025, BMW i4 cars passed 84% of 6,958 initial MOT tests, 11.7 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific i4? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW i4 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+11.7
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the i4 sits 139th of 575 models in the data. BMW as a brand averaged 79.3%, so this model runs 4.7 points ahead of its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full BMW i4 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the i4 compares with similar cars.
i4 fuel types
Most BMW i4 cars tested in 2025 were electric. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old like any other car, and their tyres, brakes, suspension and lights are tested the same way.
Where the i4 fails its MOT
Where BMW i4 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has ply or cords exposed (30.2%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (24.6%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (8.1%). See every common i4 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every BMW i4 that failed, not a claim that every i4 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used i4?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at 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. 73.1% of i4 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. 11.1% of i4 failure items.
3
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 8.2% of i4 failure items.
4
Identification of the vehicle
Match the number plates and VIN to the V5C logbook, and check the plates are legal. 3.7% of i4 failure items.
5
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems
Pull every seat belt out fully and check it latches and retracts, and that the airbag light goes out after starting. 1% of i4 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing BMW i4 failures cluster around tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact i4 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the BMW history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the i4.
Used BMW i4 FAQs
Is the BMW i4 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 84% first-time pass rate for the BMW i4 across 6,958 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used BMW i4?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and visibility. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a BMW i4'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.