MOT fail rates by first-use year

2017 BMW 4 Series MOT fail rate and common faults

How BMW 4 Series cars first used in 2017 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 70,211 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 8 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 8 (n=17,171)15.5%

All cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457)23.8%

Difference−8.3 pts

MOT tests of 2017 cars, 2022 to 202570,211

What stands out

In 2025, at 8 years old, BMW 4 Series cars first used in 2017 failed 15.5% of MOTs (17,171 tests), 8.3 points below the 23.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 5 to 8 years old, the fail rate moved from 12.6% to 15.5%.
BMW 4 Series cars first used a year earlier, in 2016, failed 16.4% at the same age of 8 years (18,526 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the BMW 4 Series at 8 years, is shock absorber leaking, at 1.1 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

BMW 4 Series cars first used in 2017: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	5 years	12.6%	17,903	15.3%	−2.7 pts
2023	6 years	14.0%	17,599	17.8%	−3.8 pts
2024	7 years	15.4%	17,538	20.6%	−5.3 pts
2025	8 years	15.5%	17,171	23.8%	−8.3 pts

Most common faults at 8 years

These figures cover all BMW 4 Series MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=67,165). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	2.3	1.2
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.1	2.3
Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Wear	1.7	0.5
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.7	1.3
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.3	2.0
Shock absorber leaking	1.1	0.6
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	1.1	1.1
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	0.6	1.0
Road wheel attachment: fixing missing	0.6	0.2
Dipped headlight not working Wear	0.5	1.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=67,165). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	17.1	15.7
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	7.8	8.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	6.7	8.6
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)	4.7	0.6
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	2.7	4.0
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	2.5	2.1
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	2.3	2.7
Shock absorber misting oil	2.2	2.8
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	2.2	2.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	2.2	8.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=67,165). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 8 years

These figures cover all BMW 4 Series MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=67,165). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	73.6%	17.3%	49,444	25.1%	74,098 miles
Petrol	26.4%	15.0%	17,721	22.8%	54,083 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 8 years

These figures cover all BMW 4 Series MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=67,165). At 8 years, BMW 4 Series cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (21.1%, n=3,099) than those at under 30,000 miles (9.0%, n=3,204). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	9.0%	3,204	13.4%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	13.6%	21,447	21.0%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	17.7%	26,977	26.6%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	20.6%	11,246	30.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	21.1%	3,099	31.7%

Car tax rules for a 2017 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.
Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.
A car first used in 2017 can fall under either rule, so the registration date on the logbook decides.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the BMW 4 Series

2016 BMW 4 Series 2018 BMW 4 Series

Other BMW models first used in 2017

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
BMW 1 Series (2017)	8 years in 2025	17.9%	33,206	23.8%
BMW 3 Series (2017)	8 years in 2025	15.5%	30,557	23.8%
BMW 2 Series (2017)	8 years in 2025	17.2%	18,172	23.8%
BMW 5 Series (2017)	8 years in 2025	15.4%	15,052	23.8%
BMW X1 (2017)	8 years in 2025	15.7%	13,948	23.8%
BMW X3 (2017)	8 years in 2025	17.5%	8,099	23.8%
BMW X5 (2017)	8 years in 2025	13.3%	5,993	23.8%
BMW i3 (2017)	8 years in 2025	15.7%	3,174	23.8%

More on the BMW 4 Series

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2017 BMW 4 Series cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.