BMW X5 MOT failure rate and common faults

87,759 BMW X5 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 18.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 26.5% of the time, which makes the BMW X5 29% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.

18.7%

failed first time

87,759 MOT tests in 2025

-29%

vs same age average

average car of this age mix: 26.5%

22 of 208

age adjusted rank

among cars; 1 fails least

87.1

dangerous defects per 1,000

same age average: 99.3

What fails on a BMW X5 MOT

Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.

Tyres106 1.2x average
Lights and electrics80 49% below average
Suspension71 43% below average
Brakes52 46% below average
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors29 42% below average
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts20 47% below average
Engine, emissions and leaks15 59% below average
Wheels11 2.1x average
Number plates and VIN9 2.3x average
Seat belts and airbags8 24% below average
Steering5 79% below average

The most common BMW X5 MOT failures

The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.

Failure itemAreaPer 1,000 tests
Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cordsTyres37.4
Tyres: has ply or cords exposedTyres35.6
Ball joint excessively wornSuspension20.2
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mmTyres18.4
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively wornSuspension12.8
Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirtBody, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts11.9
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquidWindscreen, wipers and mirrors11.2
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectivelyWindscreen, wipers and mirrors10.4
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunctionEngine, emissions and leaks10.4
Side repeaters: not workingLights and electrics10.1
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BMW X5 MOT failure rate by year

Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.

First registeredTestsFailedSame age averageAverage mileage
20227,80415.0%11.4%33,400
20216,32814.0%12.8%44,100
20204,86611.8%14.1%48,600
20198,39512.8%16.5%55,600
20186,87014.5%19.1%66,700
20175,96913.3%21.8%75,700
20166,25213.1%25.1%83,600
20156,72915.3%28.1%93,000
20145,15215.5%31.4%101,900
20133,23921.8%34.3%108,700
20123,72623.5%36.6%115,500
20113,54123.4%38.8%119,900
20103,29624.2%40.7%127,500
20093,51428.5%41.8%133,200
20082,83128.1%42.9%138,400
20072,75930.8%42.7%144,000
20062,44638.0%43.0%149,800
20054,04237.2%42.4%149,600

Advisories to look for in a BMW X5's MOT history

An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the BMW X5, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.

  • Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge304.0
  • Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement76.5
  • Brake pads: wearing thin62.0
  • Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive58.6
  • Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened58.2
  • Ball joint has slight play49.1

Checking a used BMW X5 before you buy

Against cars of the same age, the BMW X5 fails more often than average on tyres and wheels. Start there.

  • Tyres

    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.

  • Wheels

    Look for damaged rims, missing wheel nuts and cracked alloys, particularly on the inside edge where kerb damage hides.

Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.

Fuel mix of the BMW X5 cars tested: Diesel 75%, Hybrid 11%, Diesel hybrid 8%, Petrol 6%. Average age at test 9.9 years, average recorded mileage 87,500.

BMW X5 MOT questions

What is the BMW X5 MOT failure rate?

18.7% of BMW X5 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 87,759 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 26.5% of the time, so the BMW X5 was 29% less likely to fail.

What fails most often on a BMW X5 MOT?

Tyres caused the most failure items, at 106 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded 37.4 times per 1,000 tests.

Which BMW X5 year has the best MOT record?

Measured against cars of the same age, 2014 registrations did best: 15.5% failed against an average of 31.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.

Does this tell me whether a particular BMW X5 will pass?

No. These are averages across every BMW X5 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.

Other BMW models

Ranked close to the BMW X5

How these figures are calculated

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many BMW X5 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.