193,330 tests in 2025
BMW 5 Series reliability and MOT pass rate
82.7% passed first time. The 17.3% fail rate is 5.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 101,678 miles.
Pass rate
82.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 17.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
101,678 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 20,021 | 11.3% |
| 6-9 years | 60,429 | 12.4% |
| 10-13 years | 55,996 | 18% |
| 14+ years | 56,134 | 24.1% |
What the 5 Series fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres13,231 dangerous37.5%
- Suspension429 dangerous34.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment65 dangerous22.5%
- Brakes2,926 dangerous18.4%
- Visibility15 dangerous10.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks47 dangerous8.5%
- Steering211 dangerous7.4%
- Road Wheels1,481 dangerous6.1%
Is the 5 Series getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.2 points to 17.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 219,975 | — | 18.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 216,076 | — | 18.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 185,281 | — | 17.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 188,231 | — | 17.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 5 Series at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 5 Series in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken4,057 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,893 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed3,595 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords2,931 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak2,422 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working2,322 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,831 tests
- 8Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play1,573 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 5 Series collects 2.44 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm32,010 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine11,965 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick11,801 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened11,547 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn9,817 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak8,923 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure6,585 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm5,004 tests
Questions
What is the BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate?
82.7% of the 193,330 BMW 5 Series first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 17.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW 5 Series usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 4,057 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 37.5% of failures, suspension appears in 34.7% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 22.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.3%; at 14+ years it was 24.1%. The median BMW 5 Series tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 101,678 miles.
Is the BMW 5 Series getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.2 points to 17.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 5 Series trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 48 safety recalls naming the BMW 5 Series: BMW 5 Series recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular 5 Series?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.