Does the BMW 4 Series fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The BMW 4 Series records 1.36 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.71 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−3.35, 95% interval −3.41 to −3.29). It ranks 441 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a BMW 4 Series by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the BMW 4 Series is “A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage”, recorded 3,265 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 3,265 | 0.62 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 2,189 | 0.42 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 427 | 0.08 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 321 | 0.06 |
| A wheel bearing excessively rough | 148 | 0.03 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 525,142 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a BMW 4 Series gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
7.3% of BMW 4 Series MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 8,736 miles later (8,438 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 8,438 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
BMW 4 Series 2013 · BMW 4 Series 2014 · BMW 4 Series 2015 · BMW 4 Series 2016 · BMW 4 Series 2017 · 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 tyres failures · BMW 4 Series visibility failures