BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate & common failures
The BMW 5 Series appears in 1,245,662 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 84.3% of them passed. Against executive cars of a similar age (16.8% fail rate), the 5 Series comes out 1.1pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst 5 Series years
Ranked across 5 Series years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2020 (90.4% pass rate); the weakest is 1998 (73.4%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (6.2%) and suspension (5.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and coil spring — tread depth alone was recorded 39,907 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.4% in the 0-30k band and 20.7% in the 150k+ band, a 12.3-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 5.7pp more often than hybrid ones (17.1% vs 11.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 16.8% in 2021 to 15.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Versions & engines
MOT records broken out by the engine designations buyers actually search for.
By model year
Every 5 Series model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 34 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1981 | 37 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 47 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 162 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 139 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 487 | 82.5% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 706 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 931 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 516 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Suspension |
| 1989 | 560 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 501 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Suspension |
| 1991 | 431 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Suspension |
| 1992 | 513 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 847 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 1,336 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 2,000 | 76.8% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 1,901 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 2,986 | 74.5% | 25.6% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 5,829 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 7,222 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 8,386 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 11,787 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 16,716 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 18,237 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 23,272 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 35,030 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 47,556 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 55,779 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 47,176 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 47,771 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 55,660 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 76,172 | 81.0% | 19.0% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 87,131 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 86,552 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 93,158 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 95,906 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 87,773 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 86,195 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 109,330 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 74,494 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 30,518 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 13,954 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 8,879 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 735 | 95.8% | 4.2% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 302 | 98.7% | 1.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.2% | 77,082 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.5% | 68,299 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 65,653 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.4% | 41,861 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.6% | 33,014 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 16,875 |
| 7 | Steering | 1.3% | 16,199 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 12,069 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 39,907 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 31,544 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 27,873 |
| 4 | Washers | 19,675 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 18,814 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 17,980 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 16,480 |
| 8 | Wipers | 15,719 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 22.9% | 284,832 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.3% | 215,004 |
| 3 | Suspension | 13.4% | 166,519 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.3% | 102,870 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.4% | 80,047 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.5% | 56,197 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 87,435 | 8.4% |
| 30-60k | 226,833 | 10.6% |
| 60-90k | 247,240 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 240,584 | 17.1% |
| 120-150k | 202,119 | 19.2% |
| 150k+ | 238,127 | 20.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 995,611 | 15.8% |
| Petrol | 178,763 | 17.1% |
| Hybrid | 71,186 | 11.4% |
| Electric | 51 | 15.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 253,195 | 16.8% |
| 2022 | 258,509 | 16.0% |
| 2023 | 253,895 | 15.6% |
| 2024 | 243,667 | 15.3% |
| 2025 | 236,396 | 15.0% |
What to check before buying a BMW 5 Series
- Tyres (6.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Suspension (5.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (5.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW 5 Series?
84.3% of the 1,245,662 BMW 5 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 15.7% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the BMW 5 Series most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 6.2% of tests, then suspension (5.5%).
Which 5 Series years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 90.4% and 1998 the weakest at 73.4%, from 30,518 and 5,829 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 5 Series MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 20.7% for 150k+, a 12.3-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol 5 Series more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 11.4% of the time against 17.1% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,245,662 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.