BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 79.5% of BMW 5 Series MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 199,811 tests in Great Britain. For all cars it was 71.5%.
Compared with cars of the same age
Older cars fail more often, so a model that’s mostly a few years old will look better than one that’s mostly 12. These figures compare like with like.
At 3–5 years
87.8%
All cars: 86.1% (1.7 points better). 26,279 tests.
At 6–10 years
84.8%
All cars: 76.1% (8.7 points better). 80,469 tests.
At 11 years and over
72.6%
All cars: 61.3% (11.3 points better). 93,063 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5,851 | 87.9% | 87.8% | 38,750 miles |
| 4 | 7,584 | 88.1% | 86.4% | 46,250 miles |
| 5 | 12,844 | 87.5% | 84.5% | 56,250 miles |
| 6 | 18,208 | 86.9% | 81.9% | 66,250 miles |
| 7 | 15,875 | 85.5% | 79.3% | 76,250 miles |
| 8 | 15,168 | 84.8% | 76.3% | 83,750 miles |
| 9 | 15,334 | 84.0% | 73.1% | 96,250 miles |
| 10 | 15,884 | 82.4% | 70.0% | 108,750 miles |
| 11 | 14,787 | 78.6% | 66.9% | 116,250 miles |
| 12 | 13,351 | 73.5% | 64.4% | 123,750 miles |
| 13 | 11,584 | 74.4% | 62.1% | 131,250 miles |
| 14 | 9,823 | 73.8% | 60.2% | 136,250 miles |
| 15 | 6,589 | 72.6% | 58.6% | 141,250 miles |
| 16 | 5,941 | 71.1% | 57.5% | 148,750 miles |
| 17 | 6,423 | 70.4% | 57.2% | 153,750 miles |
| 18 | 6,263 | 68.9% | 57.0% | 158,750 miles |
| 19 | 4,429 | 69.2% | 57.2% | 161,250 miles |
| 20+ | 13,873 | 67.5% | 61.4% | 138,750 miles |
Typical mileage is the median reading at the test, to the nearest 2,500 miles.
What fails most often
The share of BMW 5 Series MOT tests that failed on at least one item in each area, against all cars. A test can fail on several areas at once.
| Area | 5 Series | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 9.1% | 8.4% |
| Suspension | 8.9% | 13.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.4% | 16.6% |
| Brakes | 5.0% | 10.2% |
| Visibility | 3.0% | 5.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.0% | 4.0% |
| Road wheels | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Steering | 1.5% | 2.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 2.9% of tests
- Coil spring: fractured or broken failed 2.4% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 2.2% of tests
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 1.8% of tests
- Position lamp: not working failed 1.6% of tests · what this means
- Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak failed 1.6% of tests · what this means
- Ball joint excessively worn failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Headlamp aim: too low failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid failed 1.1% of tests · what this means
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn failed 1.1% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular 5 Series?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every 5 Series version DVSA records under this name (engines, trims and generations together), on its first MOT test of each visit. A “pass with rectification” (fixed within an hour) counts as a fail, as in DVSA’s own statistics.
- Cars under three years old are left out, because the few tested that young are mostly taxis.
- Fuel mix of the cars tested: diesel 74.0%, petrol 14.4%, hybrid electric (clean) 7.4%.
- A pass rate describes the model, not any one car. How a car has been looked after matters more.
Download these figures (CSV) · Other BMW models · All makes
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data for 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our own analysis; not produced or endorsed by DVSA.