2023 BMW 5 Series — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 735 MOT tests, the 2023 BMW 5 Series recorded a 95.8% pass rate. Against executive cars of a similar age (5.6% fail rate), the 2023 5 Series comes out 1.3pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and road wheels.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.0%) and lighting & signalling (0.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and flexible couplings — headlamp aim alone was recorded 11 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 9.6% versus 2.8%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 9.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.0% | 22 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 7 |
| 3 | Road wheels | 0.7% | 5 |
| 4 | Suspension | 0.5% | 4 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 2 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.1% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 11 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 9 |
| 3 | Flexible couplings | 2 |
| 4 | Shock absorbers | 2 |
| 5 | Size/type | 2 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 1 |
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 | 9.7% | 71 |
| 2 | Visibility | 1.5% | 11 |
| 3 | Other defects | 0.7% | 5 |
| 4 | Suspension | 0.5% | 4 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.5% | 4 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 2 |
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 | 392 | 2.8% |
| 30-60k | 264 | 4.9% |
| 60-90k | 73 | 9.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 540 | 3.7% |
| Diesel | 149 | 6.0% |
| Petrol | 46 | 4.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 179 | 2.2% |
| 2025 | 544 | 5.0% |
What to check before buying a 2023 5 Series
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 3.0% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (3.0% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (0.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Road wheels (0.7% of tests): Damaged or corroded wheels, missing/loose fixings — generally a moderate fix. Typical repair: £80–£250.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2023 BMW 5 Seriess pass their MOT?
95.8% of the 735 2023 BMW 5 Series MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 4.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2023 BMW 5 Series?
Tyres, recorded in 3.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (0.9%).
Does the 2023 5 Series get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 2.8% in the 0-30k band to 9.6% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 735 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.