86,777 tests in 2025
BMW X5 reliability and MOT pass rate
83.1% passed first time. The 16.9% fail rate is 5.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 84,418 miles.
Pass rate
83.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 16.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
84,418 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 17,409 | 12.7% |
| 6-9 years | 25,512 | 11.7% |
| 10-13 years | 17,703 | 15.5% |
| 14+ years | 25,942 | 26% |
What the X5 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.
- Tyres5,703 dangerous41.7%
- Suspension268 dangerous30.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment38 dangerous24.9%
- Brakes1,407 dangerous22%
- Body, chassis, structure53 dangerous12.5%
- Visibility5 dangerous11.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks22 dangerous7.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous4.7%
Is the X5 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.9 points to 17.1% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 90,355 | 9 | 20% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 89,734 | — | 18.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 78,656 | — | 18.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 83,974 | — | 17.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical X5 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 X5 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has ply or cords exposed2,428 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords2,278 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,600 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1,158 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,146 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn933 tests
- 7Side repeaters: not working765 tests
- 8Coil spring: fractured or broken737 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical X5 collects 2.48 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 1.6mm14,406 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine5,891 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn5,033 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick4,568 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened3,905 tests
- 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn3,458 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,417 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded2,357 tests
Questions
What is the BMW X5 MOT pass rate?
83.1% of the 86,777 BMW X5 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 16.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a BMW X5 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has ply or cords exposed", recorded on 2,428 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, tyres appears in 41.7% of failures, suspension appears in 30.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 24.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.7%; at 14+ years it was 26%. The median BMW X5 tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 84,418 miles.
Is the BMW X5 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.9 points to 17.1% 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 X5 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 66 safety recalls naming the BMW X5: BMW X5 recalls.
Other BMW models
Checking a particular X5?
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.