Used car guide · 2021–2026

BMW I4 common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used BMW I4, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 7,161 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

7,161MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
44,007on the UK register

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

202620252024202320222021

What usually goes wrong with a BMW I4?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the BMW I4 in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common BMW I4 MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Tyre condition

    up to 1.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2022.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges. Uneven wear can point to tracking or suspension problems.

  • Tread depth

    up to 1.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2022.

    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.

BMW I4 MOT pass rate by year

Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
202389%92% -3402 (small sample)
202284%89% -56,590
202185%87% -2169 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a BMW I4

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

  1. Any recent work on the tyre condition? (Flagged at MOT 1.8× as often on the BMW I4 as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the tread depth? (Flagged at MOT 1.6× as often on the BMW I4 as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a BMW I4?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score