How reliable is the BMW I4 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the BMW I4, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 84.0% across 6,958 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW I4?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 54.0% of failed BMW I4 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a BMW I4?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 33.8% of all BMW I4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a BMW I4 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 34,214 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

BMW I4 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 6,958 recorded MOT tests of the BMW I4, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 6,958 MOT tests, 84.0% of BMW I4 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the BMW I4 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre cords visible or damaged, which appears in 54.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 34,214 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

84.0%unadjusted, not comparable6,958 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the I4. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 6,958 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW I4 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre cords visible or damaged54.0%
530 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged44.3%
435 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements13.5%
132 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged8.0%
78 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.0%
59 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements5.3%
52 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged4.1%
40 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen2.6%
26 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.A tyre cords visible or damaged1.9%
19 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
10.A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber1.1%
11 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW I4 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements33.8%
2,347 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements6.4%
444 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged5.3%
366 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged3.8%
266 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Nail in tyre2.7%
186 tests
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.4%
169 tests
7.A tyre seriously damaged2.3%
160 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured0.7%
51 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The I4 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 34,214
Fuel mix of tested cars: Electric100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (5)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

I4 EDRIVE35 M SPORT
I4 EDRIVE35 SPORT
I4 EDRIVE40 M SPORT
I4 EDRIVE40 SPORT
I4 M50

Check a specific BMW I4

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other BMW models

BMW 3 Series — 80.0% adjusted
BMW 1 Series — 77.6% adjusted
BMW 5 Series — 82.0% adjusted
BMW 2 Series — 82.9% adjusted
BMW X1 — 79.5% adjusted
BMW 4 Series — 83.2% adjusted
All BMW models

Common questions

How reliable is the BMW I4 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the BMW I4, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 84.0% across 6,958 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW I4?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 54.0% of failed BMW I4 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a BMW I4?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 33.8% of all BMW I4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a BMW I4 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 34,214 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.