BMW 5 Series: reliability by registration year
1998-2022 · 25 registration years · 191,101 first tests
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.
| Year | First tests | First-attempt pass | Incl. PRS | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,182 | 85.7% | 86.9% | Tyre condition (front) 36.4% |
| about 5 in every 100 worse than the years either side. What most often failed a 2022 5 Series: Tyre condition (front) (36.4%) · Wheel condition (rear) (11.8%) · Tyre tread depth (rear) (6.3%) | ||||
| 2021 | 5,362 | 87.0% | 88.5% | Tyre condition (front) 31.0% |
| 2020 | 7,890 | 87.5% | 88.6% | Tyre condition (front) 26.2% |
| 2019 | 14,339 | 87.1% | 88.3% | Tyre condition (rear) 24.6% |
| 2018 | 17,248 | 86.1% | 87.8% | Tyre condition (rear) 21.8% |
| 2017 | 14,034 | 84.4% | 86.0% | Tyre condition (rear) 16.6% |
| 2016 | 14,582 | 84.7% | 87.0% | Tyre condition (rear) 16.7% |
| 2015 | 15,867 | 83.5% | 85.7% | Tyre condition (rear) 16.6% |
| 2014 | 14,992 | 80.9% | 83.9% | Tyre condition (rear) 13.6% |
| 2013 | 13,282 | 75.9% | 79.4% | Coil spring (front) 15.0% |
| 2012 | 12,639 | 73.1% | 77.5% | Individual sidelight or tail light (front) 14.0% |
| about 2 in every 100 worse than the years either side. What most often failed a 2012 5 Series: Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (14.0%) · Coil spring (front) (13.0%) · Tyre condition (rear) (11.3%) | ||||
| 2011 | 10,398 | 74.6% | 78.9% | Individual sidelight or tail light (front) 13.3% |
| 2010 | 7,321 | 73.3% | 78.0% | Coil spring (front) 11.7% |
| 2009 | 6,190 | 70.9% | 75.8% | Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front) 13.5% |
| 2008 | 5,692 | 72.1% | 77.4% | Anti-roll bar 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% | Airbag warning light 16.6% |
| 2004 | 2,213 | 67.9% | 74.6% | Airbag warning light 17.3% |
| 2003 | 1,975 | 65.3% | 71.2% | Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) 18.4% |
| 2002 | 1,907 | 66.9% | 71.9% | Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) 19.5% |
| 2001 | 1,344 | 66.5% | 71.4% | Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) 14.7% |
| 2000 | 909 | 66.8% | 73.3% | |
| 1999 | 773 | 64.0% | 68.4% | |
| 1998 | 644 | 65.1% | 70.2% | |