2010 BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate: 78.7% (1,967 tests)

2010-registered BMW 5 Seriess passed 78.7% of 1,967 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 11.3 points better than all UK cars registered in 2010 (67.4%). This is one of the strongest 5 Series years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

78.7%Pass rate, 2010 cars

111.3Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

1,967Tests analysed

136,057 miMedian mileage at test

83.5% / 78.3%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2010 5 Series getting worse?

Pass rate of 2010-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	78.1% +10.1 vs same-age
2024	78.4% +11.3 vs same-age
2025	79.8% +12.9 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2010 5 Series

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	300	30.9%
2	Tyres	178	18.4%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	174	17.9%
4	Brakes	102	10.5%
5	Visibility	63	6.5%
6	Steering	40	4.1%

All 5 Series years compared

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 (this page)	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

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: BMW 5 Series years to avoid.

Buying a 2010 5 Series? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
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

FAQs

Is a 2010 BMW 5 Series reliable?

2010-registered examples passed 78.7% of their MOT tests (1,967 tests, 2023–2025), +11.3 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 16 years old with a median 136,057 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2010 5 Series?

The median tested example shows 136,057 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.