BMW 520 MOT pass rate: 81.0% (71,728 tests, 2025)
Last updated · OBDCode UK editorial
How the 520 compares
BMW 520
81.0%UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)
77.5% across 33.1 million testsBMW average (all models)
83.0%What fails most on the BMW 520
Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the 520:
Scroll horizontally to read every column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7,615 | 26.3% |
| 2 | Tyres | 6,564 | 22.7% |
| 3 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5,528 | 19.1% |
| 4 | Brakes | 4,076 | 14.1% |
| 5 | Visibility | 1,852 | 6.4% |
| 6 | Steering | 1,189 | 4.1% |
Pre-MOT checklist for 520 owners
Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:
- Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
- Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
- 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
An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.
520 pass rate by registration year
Strongest age-adjusted years: 2008, 2014. Full ranking and method: BMW 520 years to avoid.
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1,584 | 67.7% | +3.2 pts | 167,283 | 67.7% visual scale |
| 2006 | 5,964 | 69.3% | +4.9 pts | 167,654 | 69.3% visual scale |
| 2007 | 9,059 | 70.4% | +5.3 pts | 159,130 | 70.4% visual scale |
| 2008 | 8,193 | 75.1% | +9.9 pts | 150,792 | 75.1% visual scale |
| 2009 | 11,710 | 74.2% | +7.8 pts | 142,481 | 74.2% visual scale |
| 2010 | 12,240 | 75.8% | +8.4 pts | 136,602 | 75.8% visual scale |
| 2011 | 22,726 | 76.7% | +7.5 pts | 134,267 | 76.7% visual scale |
| 2012 | 18,955 | 76.4% | +5.2 pts | 123,073 | 76.4% visual scale |
| 2013 | 19,777 | 80.7% | +7.4 pts | 113,179 | 80.7% visual scale |
| 2014 | 34,701 | 84.2% | +8.4 pts | 106,820 | 84.2% visual scale |
| 2015 | 36,695 | 86.0% | +7.3 pts | 94,524 | 86.0% visual scale |
| 2016 | 35,969 | 87.4% | +6.0 pts | 81,004 | 87.4% visual scale |
| 2017 | 4,386 | 87.0% | +3.0 pts | 73,600 | 87.0% visual scale |
Same-vehicle follow-up
The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.
- Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
- Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
- Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
- Steering: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):
- Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 741 cars · 10.0% failed the same item the next year
- Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 1,385 cars · 6.9% failed the same item the next year
- Ball joint has slight play — 1,132 cars · 6.5% failed the same item the next year
- Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 629 cars · 4.1% failed the same item the next year
- Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 416 cars · 4.1% failed the same item the next year
Check a specific 520 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
FAQs
What is the MOT pass rate for a BMW 520?
In 2025, 81.0% of 71,728 first MOT tests on the BMW 520 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.
What does the 520 fail its MOT on most?
The biggest defect group is suspension (26.3% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.
Is the BMW 520 reliable?
MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 81.0% it performs above the national average at a median age of 11 years and 119,032 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.
Before you agree to the work
A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.
- Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
- What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
- Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
- Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
- Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.
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.