BMW 5 Series — reliability by registration year

1998–2022 · 25 registration years · 191,101 first tests

2022 breaks the run — 4.8 pp worse than the years either side 2012 breaks the run — 2.1 pp worse than the years either side

Registration years

First-attempt MOT results for every 5 Series registration year with at least 500 first tests in 2025. Pass rates rise with newer cars, so read a year against its neighbours rather than against the top of the table. Years without their own report are listed here with the same figures.

BMW 5 Series first-attempt MOT results by registration year
Year First tests First-attempt pass Incl. PRS Most common failure
2022 6,182 85.7% 86.9% Tyres — Condition (front) 36.4%
4.8 pp worse than the years either side What failed 2022 5 Seriess most often: Tyres — Condition (front) (36.4%) · Road Wheels — Condition (rear) (11.8%) · Tread depth (rear) (6.3%)
2021 5,362 87.0% 88.5% Tyres — Condition (front) 31.0%
2020 7,890 87.5% 88.6% Tyres — Condition (front) 26.2%
2019 14,339 87.1% 88.3% Tyres — Condition (rear) 24.6%
2018 17,248 86.1% 87.8% Tyres — Condition (rear) 21.8%
2017 14,034 84.4% 86.0% Tyres — Condition (rear) 16.6%
2016 14,582 84.7% 87.0% Tyres — Condition (rear) 16.7%
2015 15,867 83.5% 85.7% Tyres — Condition (rear) 16.6%
2014 14,992 80.9% 83.9% Tyres — Condition (rear) 13.6%
2013 13,282 75.9% 79.4% Coil spring (front) 15.0%
2012 12,639 73.1% 77.5% Position lamp (front) 14.0%
2.1 pp worse than the years either side What failed 2012 5 Seriess most often: Position lamp (front) (14.0%) · Coil spring (front) (13.0%) · Tyres — Condition (rear) (11.3%)
2011 10,398 74.6% 78.9% Position lamp (front) 13.3%
2010 7,321 73.3% 78.0% Coil spring (front) 11.7%
2009 6,190 70.9% 75.8% Linkage ball joint dust cover (front) 13.5%
2008 5,692 72.1% 77.4% Linkage ball joint dust cover (front) 12.0%
2007 6,531 69.3% 74.4% Track rod end (front) 11.0%
2006 5,221 68.1% 74.1% Track rod end (front) 13.2%
2005 3,566 68.6% 74.5% SRS malfunction indicator lamp 16.6%
2004 2,213 67.9% 74.6% SRS malfunction indicator lamp 17.3%
2003 1,975 65.3% 71.2% Rbt (sp) 18.4%
2002 1,907 66.9% 71.9% Rbt (sp) 19.5%
2001 1,344 66.5% 71.4% Rbt (sp) 14.7%
2000 909 66.8% 73.3%
1999 773 64.0% 68.4%
1998 644 65.1% 70.2%

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