Car statistics by year

2018 BMW 4 Series

BMW 4 Series cars first registered in 2018: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2018, so like is set against like.

A year of the BMW 4 Series. “2018” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
15,504 MOT tests of 2018 BMW 4 Series cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 85.2% All 2018 cars 81.8%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 55,600 miles; all 2018 cars 50,000
  • Left at the end of 2025 15,204 94.3% of the 16,125 at the end of 2018
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 7.6% All 2018 cars 5.8%
  • Tests with an advisory 37.7% All 2018 cars 43.2%
  • MOT tests in 2025 15,504 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2018 BMW 4 Series do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 7 years old, 85.2% of 2018 BMW 4 Series MOT tests were passed first time, against 81.8% for all cars first registered in 2018. 2018 BMW 4 Series did better than average for their age, by 3.4 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 85.6% of the time (all 2018 cars 83.4%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: BMW 4 Series vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each BMW 4 Series bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, BMW 4 Series compared with all cars
First registered BMW 4 SeriesAll cars
’13 77.0%66.0%
’14 77.6%69.1%
’15 80.3%72.6%
’16 83.3%75.6%
’17 84.4%79.1%
’18 85.2%81.8%
’19 85.0%84.4%
’20 86.8%86.9%
’21 88.1%88.4%
’22 88.2%89.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2018 BMW 4 Series

Tyres: ply or cords exposed was the most common single reason a 2018 BMW 4 Series failed, on 15.7% of about 2,300 failed tests. By area of the car, tyres failed most often (50.6% of failed tests; all 2018 cars 30.9%). 7.6% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 5.8% for all cars first registered in 2018. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2018 BMW 4 Series tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres 15.7%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 13.0%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 11.0%
Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres 9.7%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes 9.1%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 5.2%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 5.2%
Road wheels: fractured Road wheels 5.0%
Horn: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 3.6%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 3.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: BMW 4 Series vs all 2018 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2018 BMW 4 Series MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2018 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Tyres 50.6%
Brakes 15.8%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.3%
Visibility 10.3%
Suspension 8.0%
Road wheels 7.3%
Noise, emissions and leaks 6.6%
Identification of the vehicle 2.5%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2018 BMW 4 Series

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 37.7% of 2018 BMW 4 Series tests had at least one (all 2018 cars 43.2%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2018 BMW 4 Series tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 19.1%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 8.7%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 5.6%
Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension 3.1%
Nail in tyre Non-component advisories 2.1%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes 2.1%
Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 2.1%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 2.0%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 1.9%
Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories 1.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2018 BMW 4 Series?

Half of the 2018 BMW 4 Series tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 55,600 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 41,700 and a quarter more than 71,600. For all cars first registered in 2018, the middle figure was 50,000 miles, so 2018 BMW 4 Series have been driven 11.2% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2018 BMW 4 Series and all 2018 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2018 BMW 4 Series 30,600 41,700 55,600 71,600 88,800 14,743
All 2018 cars 24,300 35,700 50,000 66,600 85,300 2,108,837
miles

Half of the 2018 BMW 4 Series tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 55,600 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2018 BMW 4 Series are left?

At the end of 2018, 16,125 2018 BMW 4 Series were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 15,204 were: 14,956 licensed and 248 declared off the road (SORN). That is 94.3% still on the record, against 96.1% for all cars first registered in 2018.

Share still on the record since 2018

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2018. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2018 BMW 4 Series on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2018, compared with all 2018 cars
Year end 2018 BMW 4 SeriesAll 2018 cars
2018 100.0%100.0%
2019 101.0%99.9%
2020 98.3%98.2%
2021 93.4%95.9%
2022 95.9%97.2%
2023 95.1%97.0%
2024 94.7%96.7%
2025 94.3%96.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2018

6 of the BMW 4 Series’s 23 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2018.

The 2018 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2018 may have been built in 2017, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

BMW 4 Series recalls whose build dates include 2018
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
22 Aug 2022 Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold 11 Nov 2014 to 27 Oct 2018 and 1 Oct 2021 322,745 (all models)
1 Aug 2022 The exhaust gas recirculation cooler may leak over time and cause thermal incident 7 May 2013 to 23 Sept 2020 319,399 (all models)
14 Jun 2021 The exhaust gas recirculation module could leak over time 20 Mar 2017 to 28 Sept 2018 18,330 (all models)
9 Feb 2021 The exhaust gas recirculation cooler could leak over time 27 Feb 2015 to 26 Jul 2018 63,888 (all models)
15 Oct 2018 Software fault in crankshaft sensor 15 May 2018 to 29 May 2018 1,642 (all models)
20 Aug 2018 Software fault with crankshaft sensor 18 May 2018 to 7 Jun 2018 4,025 (all models)

Every BMW 4 Series recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the BMW 4 Series

10 years of the BMW 4 Series, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2013 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (77.0% passed first time) and the 2022 cars worst (88.2%).

BMW 4 Series by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2013 1,556 77.0% 66.0%
2014 14,411 12,507 77.6% 69.1%
2015 20,427 18,190 80.3% 72.6%
2016 20,603 18,517 83.3% 75.6%
2017 18,735 17,234 84.4% 79.1%
2018 16,125 15,204 85.2% 81.8%
2019 10,118 10,068 85.0% 84.4%
2020 4,450 4,274 86.8% 86.9%
2021 5,787 5,564 88.1% 88.4%
2022 5,606 5,307 88.2% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 15,504 MOT tests of 2018 BMW 4 Series cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 15,204 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of BMW 4 Series cars first registered in 2018; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2018.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.