BMW M5 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW M5 took 4,056 MOT tests in Britain and passed 86% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 4,056
First-time pass rate: 86%
All cars: 71%

What the M5 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres3.5% (all cars 6.4%)
Lights and electrics3.4% (all cars 11.3%)
Suspension3.4% (all cars 9.0%)
Visibility2.9% (all cars 4.8%)
Exhaust and emissions2.3% (all cars 3.1%)
Brakes2.2% (all cars 6.8%)
Seat belts and airbags1.0% (all cars 1.0%)
Body and structure0.6% (all cars 3.5%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Coil spring: fractured or broken 1.4%
Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.3%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.2%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.0%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 0.9%
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 0.9%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 0.9%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 0.8%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 10.2%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 6.5%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 5.3%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 3.8%
Brake pads: wearing thin 3.4%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 1.9%
Transmission oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 1.9%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 1.9%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2012	315	87%
2013	526	84%
2014	445	88%
2015	384	89%
2016	390	92%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
7 years	48,113 miles
8 years	55,215 miles
9 years	58,405 miles
10 years	64,816 miles
11 years	69,634 miles
16 years	85,055 miles
17 years	84,717 miles
18 years	92,428 miles

Check a particular M5

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.