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BMW 5 Series common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 205,820 initial MOT tests on the BMW 5 Series in Great Britain, and 79.7% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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BMW 5 Series at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests
205,820
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%
79.7%
Failed at firstIncluding 3.1% repaired at the test and passed (PRS)
20.3%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%
7.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 42,671 off the road (SORN)
195,477

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the 5 Series fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

  1. 1Tyres

    6.7%

    Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%

  2. 2Suspension

    6.0%

    Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%

  3. 3Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    5.6%

    Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%

  4. 4Brakes

    3.2%

    Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%

  5. 5Visibility

    2.6%

    The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%

  6. 6Noise, emissions and leaks

    1.7%

    Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%

  7. 7Steering

    1.3%

    Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%

  8. 8Road wheels

    1.2%

    Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

  9. 9Body, chassis and structure

    1.1%

    Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%

  10. 10Seat belts and airbags

    0.9%

    Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

  1. ConditionTyres4.6%
  2. Tread depthTyres2.2%
  3. Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.1%
  4. SpringsSuspension2.1%
  5. Suspension armsSuspension1.6%
  6. Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks1.6%
  7. WashersVisibility1.6%
  8. HeadlampsLamps and electrics1.6%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First usedTestsPassed first timeDangerous defect
202428999.0%0.3%
202352393.9%3.6%
20227,07886.7%7.1%
20216,02587.8%6.3%
20208,66287.8%5.7%
201915,96787.5%5.7%
201818,76786.5%5.8%
201714,96184.5%5.5%
201615,34284.8%6.2%
201516,56383.5%6.5%
201415,62781.0%6.6%
201313,87176.0%7.7%
201213,20273.3%7.6%
201110,81874.6%7.9%
20107,62873.5%8.0%
20096,40371.1%8.9%
20085,87972.2%8.4%
20076,76969.4%9.2%
20065,41568.5%9.6%
20053,73868.5%9.4%
20042,31068.1%9.2%
20032,10065.9%8.4%
20022,01767.3%7.5%
20011,42766.6%7.6%
200096167.2%6.0%

Mileage

5 Series mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record
Age at testMedian mileageReadings
1 year26,000 miles333
2 years31,500 miles5,565
3 years38,000 miles5,850
4 years45,000 miles7,488
5 years55,100 miles12,783
6 years65,300 miles17,816
7 years75,100 miles15,543
8 years84,300 miles15,027
9 years96,000 miles15,423
10 years107,800 miles15,880
11 years116,900 miles14,785
12 years124,200 miles13,297
13 years131,300 miles11,635
14 years135,300 miles9,822
15 years140,600 miles6,585
16 years148,800 miles5,904
17 years154,500 miles6,453
18 years159,400 miles6,261
19 years160,800 miles4,424
20 years154,400 miles2,899
21 years137,800 miles2,146
22 years138,200 miles1,893
23 years137,800 miles1,630
24 years134,500 miles1,190
25 years127,800 miles920

Checking a particular 5 Series?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

BMW 5 Series: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the BMW 5 Series?
In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the BMW 5 Series was tyres: 6.7% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 6.2% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (6.0%) and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (5.6%).
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW 5 Series?
79.7% of 205,820 initial MOT tests on the BMW 5 Series in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 3.1% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.
Does a lower pass rate mean the BMW 5 Series is unreliable?
Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.
What counts as a dangerous defect?
One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 7.0% of initial tests on the BMW 5 Series found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.
Where do these figures come from?
From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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