BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate: 85.7% (71,923 tests, 2025)

The BMW 5 Series passed 85.7% of its 71,923 MOT tests in 2025 — 8.2 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 7 years old with 74,562 miles on the clock.

85.7%Pass rate (2025)

71,923MOT tests analysed

74,562 miMedian mileage at test

7 yrsMedian age at test

How the 5 Series compares

BMW 5 Series

85.7%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

BMW average (all models)

83.0%

What fails most on the BMW 5 Series

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the 5 Series:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	6,471	34.5%
2	Suspension	3,776	20.1%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,830	15.1%
4	Brakes	1,854	9.9%
5	Visibility	997	5.3%
6	Road Wheels	990	5.3%

Pre-MOT checklist for 5 Series owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

5 Series pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2020, 2022. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2008, 2010. Full ranking and method: BMW 5 Series years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2006	2,266	71.5%	+7.1 pts	158,396
2007	2,644	75.5%	+10.3 pts	154,847
2008	2,411	77.1%	+12.0 pts	151,353
2009	2,106	76.8%	+10.4 pts	145,498
2010	1,967	78.7%	+11.3 pts	136,057
2011	3,205	77.7%	+8.5 pts	131,341
2012	17,658	78.2%	+7.0 pts	120,731
2013	17,544	77.9%	+4.6 pts	113,936
2017	39,528	87.0%	+3.0 pts	68,020
2018	55,868	88.8%	+2.4 pts	58,656
2019	46,100	89.3%	+0.9 pts	47,470
2020	12,564	89.8%	-0.2 pts	35,320
2021	3,555	91.5%	+1.1 pts	37,768
2022	2,216	90.7%	-0.6 pts	35,803

Check a specific 5 Series before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other BMW models

3 Series77.7% pass rate · 346,191 tests 11883.0% pass rate · 151,434 tests X185.0% pass rate · 105,826 tests 11678.5% pass rate · 100,371 tests X383.1% pass rate · 88,755 tests 1 Series81.7% pass rate · 77,207 tests X582.4% pass rate · 76,168 tests 52081.0% pass rate · 71,728 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a BMW 5 Series?

In 2025, 85.7% of 71,923 first MOT tests on the BMW 5 Series were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the 5 Series fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is tyres (34.5% of its recorded defects), followed by suspension.

Is the BMW 5 Series reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 85.7% it performs above the national average at a median age of 7 years and 74,562 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.