87.8%
BMW M4 pass rate
Used BMW M4 buying guide
In 2025, BMW M4 cars passed 87.8% of 13,620 initial MOT tests, 15.5 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific M4? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW M4 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+15.5
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the M4 sits 77th of 575 models in the data. BMW as a brand averaged 79.3%, so this model runs 8.4 points ahead of its own brand. BMW M4 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 84.3%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full BMW M4 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the M4 compares with similar cars.
M4 fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among BMW M4 cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the M4 fails its MOT
Where BMW M4 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 (21.9%), coil spring fractured or broken (15.6%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (10.1%). See every common M4 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every BMW M4 that failed, not a claim that every M4 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used M4?
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. 46.6% of M4 failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 19.8% of M4 failure items.
3
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. 8.8% of M4 failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 5.7% of M4 failure items.
5
Identification of the vehicle
Match the number plates and VIN to the V5C logbook, and check the plates are legal. 5.7% of M4 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 M4 failures cluster around tyres and suspension 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 M4 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 M4.
Used BMW M4 FAQs
Is the BMW M4 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 87.8% first-time pass rate for the BMW M4 across 13,620 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older BMW M4 cars fail their MOT more often?
BMW M4 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 84.3%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used BMW M4?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. 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 M4'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.