BMW M5 MOT pass rate & common failures
22,292 MOT tests on the BMW M5 (1986–2024) give it an 89.2% pass rate. Executive cars of a similar age fail 19.0% of the time, so this is 8.2pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst M5 years
Ranked across M5 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
Not every year is equal — 92.2% of 2016 examples pass against 85.4% of 2000 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (3.3%) and lighting & signalling (3.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, headlamp aim and washers — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 531 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 14.9% versus 7.3%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 14.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 11.9% in 2021 to 9.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every M5 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 81 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 85 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1988 | 42 | 95.2% | 4.8% | Visibility |
| 1990 | 64 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 88 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 98 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 99 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Suspension |
| 1994 | 113 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Suspension |
| 1995 | 98 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 555 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 1,368 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 1,481 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 957 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 196 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 1,379 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 1,481 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 1,349 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2008 | 502 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 102 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Tyres |
| 2010 | 60 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Tyres |
| 2011 | 421 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 1,680 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 2,781 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 2,468 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 2,076 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 2,130 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 81 | 97.5% | 2.5% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 123 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 224 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 48 | 93.8% | 6.3% | Seat belts & restraints |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 3.3% | 724 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 711 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.0% | 667 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.3% | 506 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 476 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.1% | 470 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 162 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.6% | 127 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 531 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 413 |
| 3 | Washers | 342 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 333 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 243 |
| 6 | Registration plates | 201 |
| 7 | Wipers | 188 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 181 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 14.9% | 3,328 |
| 2 | Tyres | 14.4% | 3,217 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.5% | 1,668 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.1% | 1,132 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 988 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 714 |
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 | 1,446 | 7.3% |
| 30-60k | 6,461 | 9.0% |
| 60-90k | 6,980 | 10.5% |
| 90-120k | 3,810 | 11.5% |
| 120-150k | 2,161 | 14.4% |
| 150k+ | 1,335 | 14.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 22,250 | 10.8% |
| Diesel | 42 | 19.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,916 | 11.9% |
| 2022 | 4,654 | 11.2% |
| 2023 | 4,421 | 10.9% |
| 2024 | 4,228 | 9.9% |
| 2025 | 4,073 | 9.8% |
What to check before buying a BMW M5
- Suspension (3.3% 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 (3.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- 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.
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 M5?
89.2% of the 22,292 BMW M5 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.8% fail rate, across model years 1986–2024.
What does the BMW M5 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 3.3% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.2%).
Which M5 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 92.2% and 2000 the weakest at 85.4%, from 2,130 and 1,368 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect M5 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 14.9% for 150k+, a 7.6-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 22,292 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.