In 2025, 76,347 BMW X5 cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 79% passed first time, compared with 70% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the X5 better than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 13 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 4 years old, 89% of X5s passed first time (all cars that age: 87%). By 20 years, that figure is 63% (all cars: 58%). It beats the average car at every age with enough data, from 5 to 20 years.
BMW X5 All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | X5 passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 years | 451 | 89% | 87% | 48,267 |
| 5 years | 2,657 | 89% | 86% | 47,597 |
| 6 years | 8,093 | 87% | 84% | 55,530 |
| 7 years | 6,866 | 86% | 81% | 66,717 |
| 8 years | 5,959 | 87% | 78% | 75,668 |
| 9 years | 6,247 | 87% | 75% | 83,586 |
| 10 years | 6,718 | 85% | 72% | 93,066 |
| 11 years | 5,147 | 84% | 69% | 101,964 |
| 12 years | 3,234 | 78% | 66% | 108,614 |
| 13 years | 3,723 | 76% | 63% | 115,533 |
| 14 years | 3,528 | 77% | 61% | 119,987 |
| 15 years | 3,283 | 76% | 59% | 127,535 |
| 16 years | 3,504 | 72% | 58% | 133,275 |
| 17 years | 2,824 | 72% | 57% | 138,458 |
| 18 years | 2,757 | 69% | 57% | 143,958 |
| 19 years | 2,445 | 62% | 57% | 149,773 |
| 20 years | 4,041 | 63% | 58% | 149,350 |
What fails most on a BMW X5
The area that lets the X5 down most, relative to other cars, is road wheels: 1.2% of tests failed on it, 9.7 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on emissions and leaks and lights and electrics.
Share of X5 tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 5.1% |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | Tyres | 3.4% |
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 3.2% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 2.4% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 2.3% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 2.0% |
What to check when buying a used X5
Based on where the X5 fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Road wheels: Look for damaged rims and missing wheel nuts. More
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
- Body and structure: Get underneath with a torch: sills, jacking points, subframe mounts and floor pans. Structural rust is the failure that can make a car uneconomic to fix. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific X5
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a X5Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a BMW X5?
In 2025, 79% of BMW X5 cars passed their MOT first time, across 76,347 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 70%.
What do BMW X5 cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (5.1% of tests); a tyre cords visible or damaged (3.4% of tests); a tyre seriously damaged (3.2% of tests).
Other BMW models
BMW 3 Series (73%), BMW 118 (79%), BMW X1 (82%), BMW 116 (72%), BMW X3 (79%), BMW 1 Series (78%). All BMW models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.