Used buying checklist

BMW 4 Series reliability, common problems and used buying checks

A used BMW 4 Series looks better than average for reliability in UK MOT data: 14.0% of 1,461 tests failed, compared with 18.7% across all indexed models. A good example should have a clean MOT history for suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical.

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). MOT data does not capture every reliability issue, especially intermittent engine, gearbox or infotainment faults that do not appear during the test.

• 14.0% MOT failure rate
• Median tested mileage 73,851 miles
• 205 failed MOT tests analysed

Most useful finding

Suspension and steering is the clearest area to check

Suspension and steering is the clearest named problem area in this model's MOT history (11.6 MOT notes per 100 tests). Example MOT phrases from this area include play in steering rack inner joint(s), ball joint excessively worn, and has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted).

Example MOT phrases to search in the car's history:

• Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
• ball joint excessively worn
• has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted)
• ball joint has excessive play
• excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view
• damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view
• does not clear the windscreen effectively
• provides insufficient washer liquid
• worn down to wear indicator
• warning lamp illuminated

Before you view one

Focus on suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical

The model's recorded failure rate is 14.0%, -4.7 percentage points compared with the average across all models. Use the seller questions below to check whether repeat MOT notes have actually been repaired.

• MOT tests analysed1,461 tests
• Median tested mileage73,851 miles
• Failed MOT tests205

Used buyer verdict

Should you buy a used BMW 4 Series?

86.0% of the MOT tests we analysed for this model passed. The model's recorded failure rate is 14.0%, -4.7 percentage points compared with the average across all models. This is a buying brief for the exact car in front of you: clean repeat history matters more than badge reputation.

Better than average in our MOT data

Green light if The car has a tidy MOT pattern, recent repairs for suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical, matching tyres, and paperwork for service or recall work.

Renegotiate if The latest MOT mentions suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical, consumables are due together, or the seller cannot show what was fixed after advisories.

Walk away if Dangerous defects, corrosion near structural areas, warning lights, or the same component family keep returning without clear repair evidence.

• Repeat unresolved MOT notes for suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical
• suspension and steering appearing across more than one MOT
• Any dangerous MOT failure on the exact car, especially if the same area appears again later
• No paperwork showing applicable recall work has been completed
• A seller who cannot explain MOT wording such as "Play in steering rack inner joint(s)"

What should I check first?

Start with suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and tyres and wheels. The checklist on this page explains why each area is being recommended, what to inspect, and what to ask the seller. Each item shows whether it comes from MOT results, recall notices, or a standard used-car check.

• Suspension and steering Seen in MOT results

  Suspension and steering is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (11.6 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and inspect steering play.

  • Ask the seller: Has any suspension, steering, ball-joint, spring, or wheel-bearing advisory been repaired?
  • Example MOT wording: Play in steering rack inner joint(s); ball joint excessively worn; has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted)
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, 100-150k, and 150-200k miles
• Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors Seen in MOT results

  Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (5.3 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check windscreen damage, wiper operation, washers, mirrors, and demisting.

  • Ask the seller: Have windscreen, wiper, washer, mirror, or demisting faults appeared in recent MOT history?
  • Example MOT wording: excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view; damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view; does not clear the windscreen effectively
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, 100-150k, and 150-200k miles
• Lights and electrical Seen in MOT results

  Lights and electrical is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (2.2 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check every lamp, warning light, horn, battery condition, and dashboard messages.

  • Ask the seller: Have any lighting, warning-light, horn, battery, or electrical MOT notes come back more than once?
  • Example MOT wording: worn down to wear indicator; warning lamp illuminated; warning lamp indicates a fault
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, 100-150k, and 150-200k miles
• Tyres and wheels Seen in MOT results

  Tyres and wheels is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (1.6 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check tyre age, tread depth, sidewall damage, wheel condition, and alignment wear.

  • Ask the seller: Have uneven tyre wear, damaged tyres, wheel damage, or alignment issues been corrected?
  • Example MOT wording: Nail in tyre; on a single line braking system has no recorded effort at a wheel; primary retaining device excessively deteriorated
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, and 100-150k miles
• Emissions, engine, and exhaust Seen in MOT results

  Emissions, engine, and exhaust is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (1.2 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check warning lights, smoke, exhaust leaks, recent emissions failures, and service history.

  • Ask the seller: Has the car had repeat emissions, smoke, exhaust, lambda, or engine-warning MOT failures?
  • Example MOT wording: has a major leak of exhaust gases; leaking excessively from engine; emits excessive smoke or vapour likely to obscure the vision of other road users
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 150-200k miles
• Corrosion and structure Seen in MOT results

  Corrosion and structure is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (1.1 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Inspect sills, subframes, mounting points, arches, and underside corrosion advisories.

  • Ask the seller: Has any sill, subframe, mounting-point, chassis, or structural corrosion advisory been repaired properly?
  • Example MOT wording: excessively corroded; ferrule excessively corroded; corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened

What changes with mileage?

Past 100k miles on the BMW 4 Series, MOT records most often point to suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical.

Common MOT problem areas

1,461 MOT tests analysed for this model

1,224 Distinct vehicles represented

14.0% Recorded MOT test failure rate — -4.7 percentage points vs all models

Common faults: what usually fails on this model?

Suspension and steering is the clearest named problem area in the MOT history (11.6 MOT notes per 100 tests). These counts are issue notes, not failure rates, because a single MOT can list several faults.

Suspension and steering

• Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
• ball joint excessively worn

11.6 MOT notes per 100 tests

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors

• excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view
• damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view

5.3 MOT notes per 100 tests

Lights and electrical

• worn down to wear indicator
• warning lamp illuminated

2.2 MOT notes per 100 tests

Tyres and wheels

• Nail in tyre
• on a single line braking system has no recorded effort at a wheel

1.6 MOT notes per 100 tests

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• has a major leak of exhaust gases
• leaking excessively from engine

1.2 MOT notes per 100 tests

Corrosion and structure

• excessively corroded
• ferrule excessively corroded

1.1 MOT notes per 100 tests

Recall-related areas to verify

Official recall areas

Manufacturer recall notices for the BMW 4 Series mainly involve 5 areas: emissions, engine, and exhaust, mixed recall notices, brakes, and seatbelts and safety systems. Treat each as something to verify on the specific car you are viewing; the recall table below shows the official notice text.

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• The exhaust gas recirculation cooler could leak over time
• Exhaust gas recirculation module cooler could leak

12 recalls · 1,340,892 vehicles

Mixed recall notices

• Screw Connection of the Power Supply
• Software fault in crankshaft sensor

4 recalls · 4,927 vehicles

Brakes

• Affected vehicles may be fitted with brake discs which are not to specification

2 recalls · 1,410 vehicles

Seatbelts and safety systems

• Airbags may not deploy

1 recall · 668 vehicles

Lights and electrical

• The battery cables on the 48v starter generator may not have been sufficiently secured during production

1 recall · 388 vehicles

Mileage and age checks

Mileage changes: what starts showing up after high mileage?

Past 100k miles on the BMW 4 Series, MOT records most often point to suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical. On lower-mileage cars, the most common named areas are windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, suspension and steering, and tyres and wheels.

Mileage range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median mileage
0-50k	398	337	11.1%+0.2 percentage points vs all models	29,355 miles
50-100k	731	620	13.8%-6.9 percentage points vs all models	75,418 miles
100-150k	296	241	17.9%-8.3 percentage points vs all models	116,095 miles
150-200k	31	25	22.6%-4.7 percentage points vs all models	155,924 miles
200k+	1	1	0.0%-26.6 percentage points vs all models	207,244 miles

Problem areas by mileage

Past 100k miles on the BMW 4 Series, MOT records most often point to suspension and steering, windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, and lights and electrical.

Mileage range	Car areas most often recorded	Specific MOT defect examples
0-50k	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (5.0 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (5.0 MOT notes per 100 tests) Tyres and wheels (1.3 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
50-100k	Suspension and steering (11.2 MOT notes per 100 tests) Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (5.2 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (2.2 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
100-150k	Suspension and steering (20.3 MOT notes per 100 tests) Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (3.4 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (2.4 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
150-200k	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (32.3 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (25.8 MOT notes per 100 tests) Emissions, engine, and exhaust (16.1 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
200k+	Mixed MOT checks (600.0 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.

Fair comparisons: is this problem normal for its age?

The MOT failure rate rises from 8.4% at 3-6 years to 14.3% at 10-15 years. Compare the car with the nearest age range before treating a fault as normal wear or a warning sign. The average MOT failure rate across all models in the same dataset is 18.7%. The highest failure rate by age is 15.2% for 6-10 years cars, based on 1,087 tests.

Age range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median age
3-6 years 2020–2023 reg.	227	189	8.4%-2.2 percentage points vs all models	5.0 years
6-10 years 2016–2020 reg.	1,087	912	15.2%-1.4 percentage points vs all models	9.5 years
10-15 years 2011–2016 reg.	147	127	14.3%-9.3 percentage points vs all models	10.1 years

Recall records and data freshness

Recall context: are there safety notices to know about?

6 relevant recall notices appear for this model. Treat them as safety checks to verify for the exact car, not as normal MOT wear.

2025-10-06	Screw Connection of the Power Supply On affected vehicles the screw connection on the B+ power distributor in the vehicle's boot may have not been properly tightened. On affected vehicles the connections will be reworked.
2021-03-15	AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY BE FITTED WITH BRAKE DISCS WHICH ARE NOT TO SPECIFICATION Affected vehicles may be fitted with brake discs which were not produced according to the specifications On the affected vehicles the brake discs will be checked and if necessary replaced
2021-02-09	THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION COOLER COULD LEAK OVER TIME Leaking glycol coolant could create in combination with soot and oil sediments in the EGR module ignitable deposits. The EGR cooler will be internally inspected with an endoscope and replaced if evidence of leaking is found.
2021-01-25	THE BATTERY CABLES ON THE 48V STARTER GENERATOR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY SECURED DURING PRODUCTION The battery cables on the 48V starter generator may not have been sufficiently secured during the production process. Check the screw connection of the 48V positive / negative battery cables on the starter generator and rework if necessary.
2018-12-07	EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION MODULE COOLER COULD LEAK The EGR cooler may leakpresenting a fire risk A visual inspection of the EGR cooler to check for leaks and excessive build-up of deposits. The EGR cooler will be replaced on all affected vehicles
2018-11-05	EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION COOLER COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK OVER TIME The EGR cooler may leakpresenting a fire risk. The EGR cooler will be replaced with an improved version.

Related searches

Common ways people look up the BMW 4 Series. Each link runs the search and lands on the relevant section of this report.

• BMW 4 Series common problems
• BMW 4 Series reliability
• BMW 4 Series after 100k miles
• BMW 4 Series after 200k miles
• BMW 4 Series high mileage common problems
• BMW 4 Series age related problems
• BMW 4 Series MOT failures
• BMW 4 Series recalls

Related reliability guides

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). These are patterns from many MOT tests and recall notices. They help you decide what to inspect and what to ask; they do not certify the condition of one specific car.