BMW 5 Series, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
195,481 BMW 5 Series are licensed in the UK, the 46th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 79.7% of initial MOT tests, 7.4 points above the 72.3% UK average.
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BMW 5 Series at the MOT
79.7% of 205,807 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 5 Series 200th of 575 models. BMW 5 Series aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 72.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
BMW 5 Series tests in 2025.
Where 5 Series fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW 5 Series tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (6.9%), coil spring fractured or broken (5.5%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (5.3%).
The MOT page lists every common 5 Series MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 5 Series's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.22% of 5 Series failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.20.8% of 5 Series failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.20% of 5 Series failure items
BMW 5 Series in the UK
195,481 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 3rd most of any BMW. The number licensed has fallen 13% since the end of 2014, and 21% from its peak of 246,103 at the end of 2018.
- Change since 2014
- −13%from 224,164 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2015half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2015 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 4,117against 22,997 in 2018
- Declared off the road
- 42,67518% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW 5 Series since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 224,164 |
| End of 2015 | 232,189 |
| End of 2016 | 238,702 |
| End of 2017 | 240,755 |
| End of 2018 | 246,103 |
| End of 2019 | 245,958 |
| End of 2020 | 239,539 |
| End of 2021 | 234,107 |
| End of 2022 | 229,564 |
| End of 2023 | 218,626 |
| End of 2024 | 208,276 |
| End of 2025 | 199,597 |
| End of June 2026 | 195,481 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW 5 Series by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 12,778 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,191 | 4,117 |
| 2024 | 3,205 | 3,873 |
| 2023 | 3,395 | 4,328 |
| 2022 | 5,705 | 7,407 |
| 2021 | 4,849 | 6,494 |
| 2020 | 7,710 | 9,727 |
| 2019 | 13,611 | 17,580 |
| 2018 | 17,109 | 22,997 |
| 2017 | 14,284 | 19,614 |
| 2016 | 15,124 | 19,304 |
| 2015 | 16,344 | 21,112 |
| 2014 | 15,334 | |
| 2013 | 13,274 | |
| 2012 | 12,403 | |
| 2011 | 9,895 | |
| 2010 | 6,853 | |
| 2009 | 5,857 | |
| 2008 | 5,297 | |
| 2007 | 5,997 | |
| 2006 | 4,644 |
16,344 5 Series first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 77% of the 21,112 first registered that year.
5 Series engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 69% of BMW 5 Series MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.0 litre at 22%. Diesel accounts for 70% of licensed 5 Series and petrol for 12%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 205,747 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 5 Series
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 23,082 | 12% |
| Diesel | 136,710 | 70% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 18,289 | 9% |
| Hybrid electric | 17,362 | 9% |
| Gas | 38 | <0.1% |
BMW 5 Series recalls
66 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW 5 Series. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 5 Series is affected.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/092
Checking and re-securing the air-conditioning wiring harness
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The Safety Recall relates to the air-conditioning wiring harness located behind the dashboard. On the affected vehicles the wiring harness was fixed very close to a screw connection on the interior microfilter housing cover. The microfilter of the air conditioning system will be regularly replaced as part of the oil service. It cannot be ruled out that cables may be damaged when replacing the microfilter during a workshop visit. The filter cover has to be removed from the lower part of the instrument panel. After replacing the filter the cover has to be refitted at which point the wires may become damaged or trapped. If the wiring harness is damaged this could lead to malfunctions of the air conditioning system as well as to a short circuit. In case of a short circuit a sensor may overheat while the vehicle is in operation. As a result smoke may develop from the instrument panel and subsequently a fire cannot be ruled out.
- Remedy
- On the affected vehicles the air-conditioning wiring harness will be checked repaired if necessary and re-secured in a modified fixing.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/054
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The Safety Recall relates to the engine starter motor. The fault relates to the RSW22 starter RWT (reinforced water tightness). It was found that with RWT starters an increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can cause the growth of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn may increase the relay contact resistance resulting in false starts or even causing short circuits and possibly a thermal reaction. In case of a short circuit the possibility of a thermal event cannot be excluded. This may happen while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibrations causing a short circuit due to moving deposits.
- Remedy
- On the affected vehicles the starter motor will be replaced with a variant by another supplier with a different design. Until the repair has been completed it is recommended to not leave the vehicle running unattended after starting the engine.
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Dec 2025 R/2025/349
Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
- Remedy
- Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.
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Nov 2025 R/2026/075
Program control units (CoC documents)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A quality check has revealed that the affected G61 vehicles software does not reflect the associated CoC documentation.
- Remedy
- To ensure your vehicle is in perfect working order we would like to program the control units to adapt the vehicle's software level to the CoC documents. as soon as possible. Naturally this work will be free of charge.
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Oct 2025 R/2025/405
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- For affected vehicles there is a concern involving water ingress and corrosion to the starter motor for where a short circuit cannot be ruled out. It is strongly recommended to park the vehicle outdoors and not in the immediate vicinity of buildings until the repair has been carried out.
- Remedy
- Replacement of the starter motor.
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Oct 2024 R/2024/414
Hydraulic Brake System Unit Replacement
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the brake servomotor was improperly welded. The weld seam might not withstand the stresses caused under high brake pressure leading to a requirement for a higher brake effort increasing the braking distance.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the hydraulic unit of the brake system replaced.
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Oct 2024 R/2024/409
Replace Double Universal Joint (Steering)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there may have been a deviation in the production of the double universal joint on the steering column. Certain steering movements could result in the component failing.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the double universal joint replaced.
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Oct 2024 R/2024/403
Check Driver's Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have had a retrofit or conversion of the airbag using a previously recalled airbag variant which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury possibly fatal to people in the vicinity. The original factory fitment airbag for the vehicle is not affected.
- Remedy
- Vehicles will have the airbag checked and if necessary replaced.
5 Series vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the 5 Series's 79.7% MOT pass rate.
BMW 5 Series FAQs
How many BMW 5 Series are there in the UK?
195,481 BMW 5 Series were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 42,675 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW 5 Series reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 79.7% first-time pass rate for the BMW 5 Series across 205,807 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the BMW 5 Series had any recalls?
66 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the BMW 5 Series. The most recent was published in March 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used BMW 5 Series?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a BMW 5 Series's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a 5 Series?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.