2025 MOT results
BMW M4 common problems
The most common reason a BMW M4 fails its MOT is a tyre worn through to the cords, on 25.5% of its 1,665 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a non-standard number plate at 5.3% of failures against 0.7% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 25.5% of failures against 5.8% expected; a broken coil spring at 22.0% of failures against 6.9% expected.
- Tests in 2025 13,566 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 12.3% 1,665 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 23.7% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a BMW M4 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed BMW M4 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 25.5% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 22.0% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 13.8% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.2% |
| Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements Identification of the vehicle | 5.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 4.4% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.4% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 3.4% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.0% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Tyre worn through to the cords
25.5% of failures 5.8% expected 4.4 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Broken coil spring
22.0% of failures 6.9% expected 3.2 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Cut tyre
13.8% of failures 8.3% expected 1.7 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.2% of failures 10.0% expected somewhat less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Non-standard number plate
5.3% of failures 0.7% expected 7.6 times as often
A number plate with the wrong spacing, font or condition, or one too faded to read.
Non-standard spacing to make a plate read as a word is the usual cause, and it is a straightforward fix.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
4.4% of failures 3.5% expected somewhat more often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a BMW M4, on 51.8% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 31.4%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 51.8% |
| Suspension | 27.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.5% |
| Brakes | 6.8% |
| Visibility | 6.8% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 6.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.0% |
| Road wheels | 2.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
23.7% of BMW M4 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On BMW M4s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 11.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.1% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 3.1% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.4% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 1.5% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.5% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 1.1% |
| Transmission oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 0.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 0.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
BMW M4 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a BMW M4?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” is the most common: it appears on 25.5% of failed BMW M4 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 51.8% of failed tests.
How often does a BMW M4 fail its MOT?
12.3% of BMW M4 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 13,566 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 60 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a BMW M4 than on other cars?
Yes. “Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements” appears on 5.3% of its failures against 0.7% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 25.5% of its failures against 5.8% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a BMW M4 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 13,566 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.