BMW X4, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
19,289 BMW X4s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 84.6% of initial MOT tests, 12.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific X4? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW X4 at the MOT
84.6% of 17,930 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the X4 125th of 575 models. BMW X4s aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 82.4%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
BMW X4 tests in 2025.
Where X4s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW X4 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (10.4%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (9.8%) and coil spring fractured or broken (9.4%).
The MOT page lists every common X4 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The X4's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.30.7% of X4 failure items
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Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.15.6% of X4 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.15.5% of X4 failure items
BMW X4s in the UK
19,289 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 225% since the end of 2016.
- Change since 2016
- +225%from 5,944 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2019half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2019 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 577against 3,769 in 2019
- Declared off the road
- 3291.7% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW X4s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 759 |
| End of 2015 | 3,038 |
| End of 2016 | 5,944 |
| End of 2017 | 8,021 |
| End of 2018 | 9,882 |
| End of 2019 | 13,097 |
| End of 2020 | 14,974 |
| End of 2021 | 16,230 |
| End of 2022 | 17,624 |
| End of 2023 | 18,352 |
| End of 2024 | 19,009 |
| End of 2025 | 19,539 |
| End of June 2026 | 19,289 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW X4s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 598 | 577 |
| 2024 | 993 | 950 |
| 2023 | 971 | 922 |
| 2022 | 1,463 | 1,428 |
| 2021 | 1,567 | 1,482 |
| 2020 | 1,797 | 1,808 |
| 2019 | 3,768 | 3,769 |
| 2018 | 1,966 | 2,168 |
| 2017 | 2,067 | 2,317 |
| 2016 | 2,626 | 3,007 |
| 2015 | 1,993 | 2,351 |
| 2014 | 709 |
1,993 X4s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 85% of the 2,351 first registered that year.
X4 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 58% of BMW X4 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.0 litre at 42%. Diesel accounts for 67% of licensed X4s and hybrid electric for 28%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 17,930 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed X4s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 923 | 5% |
| Diesel | 12,924 | 67% |
| Hybrid electric | 5,442 | 28% |
BMW X4 recalls
21 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW X4. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every X4 is affected.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/054
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
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.
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Dec 2025 R/2025/349
Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
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.
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Oct 2025 R/2025/405
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
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.
-
Oct 2024 R/2024/403
Check Driver's Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5
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.
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Dec 2023 R/2023/355
On affected vehicles the three screws connecting the electric motor to the steering gear are potentially not fastened correctly
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles the steering gear will be replaced
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Dec 2023 R/2023/354
On affected vehicles ingress of transmission fluid may occur to the integrated transmission control unit within the mechatronic module
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles the transmission mechatronic module will be replaced
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Oct 2023 R/2024/156
Checking potential vehicle damage
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles risk of potential flooding could have occurred leading to salt water ingress whilst parked in port awaiting shipping
- Remedy
- The affected vehicles will be thoroughly checked cleaned and reworked as required
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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
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.
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the X4's 84.6% MOT pass rate.
BMW X4 FAQs
How many BMW X4s are there in the UK?
19,289 BMW X4s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 329 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW X4 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 84.6% first-time pass rate for the BMW X4 across 17,930 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the BMW X4 had any recalls?
21 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW X4. 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 X4?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, visibility 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 X4'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 an X4?
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.