BMW X5 MOT Pass Rate
The BMW X5 has an MOT pass rate of 79.9%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 17,604 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 185th of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the BMW X5 is tyres, at 29.7% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest BMW X5 year is 2005, which fails more often than the average car registered in the same year.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 October 2026.
- BMW X5 MOT pass rate
- 79.9%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 17,604
Ranked 185 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the BMW X5 fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 29.7% | 52.7 | 9,276 |
| Brakes | 20.3% | 36.1 | 6,352 |
| Suspension | 13.1% | 23.2 | 4,082 |
| Lights and signalling | 10.7% | 19 | 3,353 |
| Other items | 9.6% | 17.1 | 3,010 |
| Bodywork | 5.6% | 10 | 1,752 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 4.6% | 8.2 | 1,442 |
| Fuel system | 3.3% | 5.9 | 1,036 |
| Corrosion | 1% | 1.9 | 326 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 0.7% | 1.3 | 231 |
| Steering | 0.6% | 1.1 | 198 |
| Electrical | 0.5% | 0.8 | 148 |
| Structure | 0.2% | 0.3 | 51 |
| Drivetrain | 0% | 0.1 | 13 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the BMW X5 holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | X5 fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 12.8% | 13.1% | 3,135 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 18% | 21.7% | 6,363 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 22.4% | 28.3% | 4,678 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 27.3% | 31.4% | 3,316 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | X5 fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 28.2% | 25% | 163 |
| 2002 | 29.9% | 25% | 462 |
| 2003 | 27.9% | 25.3% | 380 |
| 2004 | 25.2% | 25.3% | 882 |
| 2005 | 27.9% | 25.4% | 2,017 |
| 2006 | 28.6% | 25.3% | 958 |
| 2007 | 21.5% | 25.2% | 883 |
| 2008 | 22% | 25.3% | 889 |
| 2009 | 23.1% | 24.9% | 1,189 |
| 2010 | 20.9% | 24.5% | 1,239 |
| 2011 | 19.9% | 23.4% | 997 |
| 2012 | 18.3% | 22.6% | 864 |
| 2013 | 15.5% | 21.6% | 685 |
| 2014 | 15.4% | 20.2% | 874 |
| 2015 | 12.9% | 18.7% | 1,086 |
| 2016 | 13.3% | 17.3% | 915 |
| 2017 | 12% | 15.6% | 1,002 |
| 2018 | 14.7% | 14.7% | 1,112 |
| 2019 | 12.6% | 13.8% | 820 |
| 2020 | 6.5% | 13.3% | 139 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
BMW X5 MOT questions
Is the BMW X5 reliable?
On MOT results the BMW X5 is close to the average: it passes 79.9% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 185th of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 20.1% is 1.8 percentage points lower than the 21.9% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the BMW X5 usually fail its MOT on?
Across 17,604 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the BMW X5 were tyres (29.7%), brakes (20.3%) and suspension (13.1%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Which BMW X5 years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest year of the BMW X5 was 2005 (27.9% fail rate against 25.4% for all cars first registered that year, 2,017 tests). The strongest relative to their age were 2015, 2010 and 2017. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, which is why each year is compared with its own age group. Only years with at least 1,000 tests are included.
Does the BMW X5 get worse with mileage?
Yes. The BMW X5 fails 12.8% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 27.3% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 3,135 and 3,316 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the BMW X5 compare with the national average?
The BMW X5 passes 79.9% of MOT tests, 0.8 percentage points above the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 185th of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific BMW X5
See the full MOT history of the exact car you're looking at, free.
Related reading
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2018 BMW X5: Big SUV Big Bills
BMW X5 Running Costs: Big SUV Big Bills Breakdown
What Does 'Brake Disc Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Brake Disc Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Brake Disc Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Suspension Arm Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Suspension Arm Bush Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Other BMW models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 17,604 tests. Last updated 3 October 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/bmw/x5