BMW 4 Series 2017: MOT failure rate for its age
12.5% of 94,393 MOT tests of the BMW 4 Series first registered in 2017 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 94.1 (95% CI 92.4–95.9; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2017 BMW 4 Series fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 12.5 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 94393 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 92.4–95.9) | 94.1 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 94393 |
| Rank among this model's 8 build years | 1 | of 8 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 94393 |
| Tested in 2024 | 17425 | tests | median 58,829 miles | 2024 | 17425 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2017 BMW 4 Series fail at each age?
Cars built in 2017 were tested at ages 3 to 7 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 23,279 | 9.7 | 9.3–10.1 | 11.6 | 83.4 |
| 4 | 18,325 | 11.5 | 11–12 | 12.3 | 93.5 |
| 5 | 17,823 | 12.6 | 12.2–13.1 | 13.1 | 96.1 |
| 6 | 17,541 | 14 | 13.5–14.5 | 14.2 | 98.6 |
| 7 | 17,425 | 15.4 | 14.9–16 | 15.5 | 99.6 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 94,393 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 2017 BMW 4 Series?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2017 is tyres: 10 items per 100 first tests, against 10.9 across all build years of the BMW 4 Series. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2017 were tested at ages 3 to 7.
| Failure group | Built 2017, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 10 | 10.9 | 9,506 |
| Visibility | 3.6 | 4 | 3,422 |
| Brakes | 2 | 2.7 | 1,911 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.2 | 2.2 | 1,106 |
| Road Wheels | 0.9 | 0.9 | 847 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 95,173 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 2017 compare with the years around it?
Among the 8 published build years of the BMW 4 Series, 2017 ranks 1 (1 = fails least for its age). 2016: index 99.3. 2018: index 98.9.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 100.8 | 96.1–105.5 | no different | 9,750 |
| 2014 | 106.5 | 104.7–108.2 | worse | 77,602 |
| 2015 | 102.0 | 100.5–103.5 | worse | 111,935 |
| 2016 | 99.3 | 97.8–100.9 | no different | 114,125 |
| 2017 | 94.1 | 92.4–95.9 | better | 94,393 |
| 2018 | 98.9 | 96.7–101.0 | no different | 64,988 |
| 2019 | 110.7 | 107.4–114.0 | worse | 32,125 |
| 2020 | 102.1 | 96.2–108.1 | no different | 9,576 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 514,494 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). BMW 4 Series 2017 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/bmw-4-series/2017/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
BMW 4 Series 2013 · BMW 4 Series 2014 · BMW 4 Series 2015 · BMW 4 Series 2016 · BMW 4 Series 2018 · BMW 4 Series 2019 · BMW 4 Series 2020 · BMW 4 Series by postcode area · BMW 4 Series body, chassis and structure failures · BMW 4 Series brakes failures · BMW 4 Series vehicle identification failures · BMW 4 Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · BMW 4 Series noise, emissions and leaks failures · BMW 4 Series road wheels failures · BMW 4 Series seat belts and airbags failures · BMW 4 Series steering failures · BMW 4 Series suspension failures · BMW 4 Series tyres failures · BMW 4 Series visibility failures