At a glance
How 909 first tests went in 2025.
- Passed first time
- 67 in every 100
- Did not pass first time
- 33 in every 100302 failed first-attempt tests
- The typical car
- 25 yearsabout 130,471 miles
- First tests counted
- 909
How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.
These are patterns across 2000 BMW 5 Series vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.
Seat belts and restraints
One fault: airbag warning light, 5.3 times as often as on similar cars.
Figures below are measured across the 293 of 302 failed first attempts (97.0%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like. 3.0% of failures are excluded because no mileage was recorded, so treat these shares as indicative for this model year.
We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.
Airbag warning light
What it means
The airbag warning lamp (SRS MIL in DVSA's wording) is failed only if it indicates a system malfunction, which is Major. A lamp lit to show the passenger airbag is disabled is not to be regarded as a defect. Dashboard messages are not a defect in their own right, though they can help the tester confirm a malfunction.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Steering
One fault: steering rack (front), 3.9 times as often as on similar cars.
Steering rack (front)
What it means
Steering gear casing retaining devices dangerously loose, or visible relative movement to the chassis or bodywork, is graded Dangerous. A casing not properly attached, or fractured, is Major, but a fracture that affects the stability or attachment of the casing is Dangerous. A gaiter damaged but still keeping dirt out is Minor, and Major once missing or no longer doing so.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Brakes
One fault: anti-lock braking system (ABS), 3.8 times as often as on similar cars.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
What it means
ABS is failed as removed only where it has obviously been removed, because not every vehicle in the age range where removal is not permitted has ABS. A warning lamp that does not light or shows an ABS fault is Major, as is a missing or excessively damaged wheel speed sensor. Every failure row for this component is Major.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Visibility
One fault: windscreen washers, 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.
Windscreen washers
What it means
Windscreen washers that are not working, or do not provide sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, are graded Major. They must provide enough fluid for the wipers to clear the windscreen effectively. Vehicles with an opening windscreen, or some other adequate view to the front, left and right, are not inspected for washers.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Advisories
Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.
An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail.
Tyre tread depth (rear)
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
MOT pass rates
How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.
- Passed first time
- 67in every 100
- Passed on the first test.
- Fixed at the station
- 6in every 100
- Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
- Failed
- 27in every 100
- Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.
First-attempt pass 66.8% of 909 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 73.3%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 6 fixed and the 27 not fixed make the 33 in every 100 that did not pass first time.
Same model, other years
Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.
Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 64 in every 100 passed first time.
| Year | Passed first time | First tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 65 in every 100 | 342 |
| 1998 | 65 in every 100 | 644 |
| 1999 | 64 in every 100 | 773 |
| 2000 This car | 67 in every 100 | 909 |
| 2001 | 67 in every 100 | 1,344 |
| 2002 | 67 in every 100 | 1,907 |
| 2003 | 65 in every 100 | 1,975 |
| 2004 | 68 in every 100 | 2,213 |
| 2005 | 69 in every 100 | 3,566 |
| 2006 | 68 in every 100 | 5,221 |
| 2007 | 69 in every 100 | 6,531 |
| 2008 | 72 in every 100 | 5,692 |
| 2009 | 71 in every 100 | 6,190 |
| 2010 | 73 in every 100 | 7,321 |
| 2011 | 75 in every 100 | 10,398 |
| 2012 | 73 in every 100 | 12,639 |
| 2013 | 76 in every 100 | 13,282 |
| 2014 | 81 in every 100 | 14,992 |
| 2015 | 83 in every 100 | 15,867 |
| 2016 | 85 in every 100 | 14,582 |
| 2017 | 84 in every 100 | 14,034 |
| 2018 | 86 in every 100 | 17,248 |
| 2019 | 87 in every 100 | 14,339 |
| 2020 | 88 in every 100 | 7,890 |
| 2021 | 87 in every 100 | 5,362 |
| 2022 | 86 in every 100 | 6,182 |
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
About this data
How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.
These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.
What we include
UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.
Same-day repairs
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.
How we compare
We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.
What this does not cover
- MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
- Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
- Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
- If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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