BMW X5 MOT pass rate & common failures
526,447 MOT tests on the BMW X5 (2000–2025) give it an 83.8% pass rate. That is effectively the same as large SUVs of a similar age (16.9% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst X5 years
Ranked across X5 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 2016 (90.1% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (73.1%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (6.4%) and lighting & signalling (6.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, headlamp aim and tread depth — ball joint alone was recorded 14,534 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.5% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 7.9pp more often than hybrid ones (20.3% vs 12.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 18.0% in 2021 to 14.7% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every X5 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 166 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 4,556 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 9,073 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 15,764 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 21,217 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 36,630 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 22,224 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 22,398 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 20,741 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 24,466 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 22,331 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 23,750 | 83.2% | 16.9% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 23,974 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 19,944 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 30,000 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 38,798 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 35,602 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 34,143 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 40,450 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 38,882 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 16,694 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 15,298 | 88.0% | 11.9% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 9,074 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 264 | 90.1% | 9.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.4% | 33,708 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 32,345 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.4% | 28,420 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.6% | 24,140 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.0% | 15,843 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.6% | 13,519 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 6,293 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 5,115 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint | 14,534 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 12,423 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 11,876 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 9,944 |
| 5 | Washers | 9,547 |
| 6 | Joints | 9,487 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 8,682 |
| 8 | Wipers | 7,826 |
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 | 24.1% | 126,671 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.5% | 86,970 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.9% | 78,208 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.0% | 42,071 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 7.9% | 41,434 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 34,109 |
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 | 47,869 | 9.9% |
| 30-60k | 114,696 | 10.8% |
| 60-90k | 105,211 | 13.4% |
| 90-120k | 100,549 | 18.4% |
| 120-150k | 84,938 | 21.6% |
| 150k+ | 70,104 | 23.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 453,131 | 16.1% |
| Petrol | 44,861 | 20.3% |
| Hybrid | 28,360 | 12.4% |
| Gas/LPG | 93 | 18.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 103,308 | 18.0% |
| 2022 | 106,739 | 17.1% |
| 2023 | 105,232 | 16.2% |
| 2024 | 104,903 | 15.4% |
| 2025 | 106,265 | 14.7% |
What to check before buying a BMW X5
- Tyres (6.4% 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 (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (5.4% 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.
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 X5?
83.8% of the 526,447 BMW X5 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.3% fail rate, across model years 2000–2025.
What does the BMW X5 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 6.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (6.1%).
Which X5 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 90.1% and 2003 the weakest at 73.1%, from 35,602 and 15,764 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect X5 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.5% for 150k+, a 13.6-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol X5 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 12.4% of the time against 20.3% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 526,447 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.