Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 36,304 tests

Pass rate climbs 4.0 points across the cohorts — newer X4 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 20,840

Pass

86.7%

Fail

10.7%

PRS

2.3%

Avg mileage at test

71,820 mi

2018–2020 cohort 15,195

Pass

91.5%

Fail

6.5%

PRS

1.5%

Avg mileage at test

44,126 mi

2021+ cohort 269

Pass

90.7%

Fail

7.1%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

26,711 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

BMW X4: solid MOT record across 16,592 tests

The BMW X4 is a compact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by BMW since 2014. It is marketed as a sports activity coupé (SAC), the second model from BMW marketed as such after the X6, and features styling elements and the roofline of a traditional two-door coupé.

MOT data from 16,592 tests puts this car on an 86.0% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 52,580 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by damaged tyre sidewall or structure.

The BMW X4 is the sleeker-styled coupe version of the BMW X3 SUV, blending curvaceous styling with a sporty driving experience. This is the model to buy with your heart, not your head.

For used buyers, the X4's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 35–45

A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

35–45

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

550 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
02

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

544 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
03

A tyre seriously damaged

434 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

396 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
05

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

386 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Wiper blade defective

303 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
07

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

286 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
08

A tyre cords visible or damaged

280 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
09

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

148 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

126 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£160–£380

If every one of this X4's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy BMW X4 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

91.5%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.5% — a 4.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 44,126 miles — roughly 28K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

86.7%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 71,820 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.7% pass). That's a 4.8-point spread across 20,840 older tests and 15,195 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£10.99

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Less practical than the equivalent BMW X3 SUV. Quite expensive to buy. Coupe SUV styling remains divisive for many.

Where it falls short

Less practical than the equivalent BMW X3 SUV. Quite expensive to buy. Coupe SUV styling remains divisive for many.

Recall history

24 UK recalls on record.

The X4 has 24 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an X4?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own an X4 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.