BMW I4 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW I4 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW I4 passed on its first attempt in 84.1%, and its overall record sits +5.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW I4 in the 2023–2025 data: 2,109 tests across 3 model years (2021–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common BMW I4 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW I4, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the BMW I4's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW I4 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW I4, each with how many of the model's 2,109 tests it was noted on.

• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 122 BMW I4 tests, 5.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 89 BMW I4 tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 48 BMW I4 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 31 BMW I4 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 26 BMW I4 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 20 BMW I4 tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW I4 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW I4 model year on record is 2021 (87.7% across 122 tests), and the weakest is 2022 (85.9%). The gap between them is 1.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW I4 Owners

These checks follow this BMW I4's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW I4.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”

  Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.

• the wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW I4. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW I4 MOT & Reliability