Used car guide

2017 BMW 640d: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the BMW 640d first registered in 2017: we looked at the 2,658 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

2,658MOTs of 2017 cars, done in 2023–2025
83%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 80%)
8,200typical miles a year
3×the usual rate for wheels

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2017 BMW 640d?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2017 BMW 640d than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Wheels3× usual
    BMW 640d
    2.7% All 2017 cars
    0.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.9%, against 0.3% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

Better than most

Brake discs: 3.5% here, against 10.9% of all 2017 cars.

Common 2017 BMW 640d MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2017 BMW 640d MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    25% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    9% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    5% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    5% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    4% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    1% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2017 BMW 640d

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the wheels? (Flagged at MOT 3× as often on the 2017 BMW 640d as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a BMW 640d?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the BMW 640d compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20181,778Tyres 26%
20164,959Tyres 25%
20155,174Tyres 27%
20145,525Tyres 26%
20133,584Tyres 26%
20122,678Tyres 27%
2011488Tyres 24%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of BMW 640d cars first registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score