BMW X5, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
105,687 BMW X5s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 80.3% of initial MOT tests, 8 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific X5? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW X5 at the MOT
80.3% of 92,142 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the X5 196th of 575 models. BMW X5s aged 3 to 5 years passed 87% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 71.5%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
BMW X5 tests in 2025.
Where X5s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW X5 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (8.1%), condition has ply or cords exposed (8%) and ball joint excessively worn (5.2%).
The MOT page lists every common X5 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The X5'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.23.5% of X5 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.20.4% of X5 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.17.7% of X5 failure items
BMW X5s in the UK
105,687 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 36% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +36%from 77,489 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 7,420against 9,757 in 2019
- Declared off the road
- 15,51713% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW X5s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 77,489 |
| End of 2015 | 83,371 |
| End of 2016 | 88,775 |
| End of 2017 | 91,878 |
| End of 2018 | 95,003 |
| End of 2019 | 98,249 |
| End of 2020 | 99,358 |
| End of 2021 | 102,029 |
| End of 2022 | 104,636 |
| End of 2023 | 103,806 |
| End of 2024 | 103,126 |
| End of 2025 | 104,770 |
| End of June 2026 | 105,687 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW X5s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 7,086 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,891 | 7,420 |
| 2024 | 6,182 | 6,449 |
| 2023 | 5,281 | 5,562 |
| 2022 | 7,247 | 8,076 |
| 2021 | 6,018 | 7,192 |
| 2020 | 4,824 | 5,639 |
| 2019 | 8,432 | 9,757 |
| 2018 | 6,806 | 7,887 |
| 2017 | 5,899 | 7,415 |
| 2016 | 6,196 | 8,132 |
| 2015 | 6,709 | 8,480 |
| 2014 | 5,054 | |
| 2013 | 3,104 | |
| 2012 | 3,539 | |
| 2011 | 3,299 | |
| 2010 | 3,081 | |
| 2009 | 3,187 | |
| 2008 | 2,434 | |
| 2007 | 2,193 | |
| 2006 | 1,957 |
6,709 X5s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 79% of the 8,480 first registered that year.
X5 engines and fuel
3.0 litre engines made up 90% of BMW X5 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 4.1%. Diesel accounts for 60% of licensed X5s and plug-in hybrid for 19%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 92,109 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed X5s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 4,534 | 4% |
| Diesel | 63,867 | 60% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 20,225 | 19% |
| Hybrid electric | 16,984 | 16% |
| Gas | 77 | 0.1% |
BMW X5 recalls
59 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW X5. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every X5 is affected.
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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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Oct 2025 R/2025/406
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- For affected vehicles local overheating may occur at the electrical contacts of the vehicle's engine starter motor. This may cause an increase in current flow resulting in local overheating or risk of thermal event.
- Remedy
- Replacement of the starter motor.
-
Sep 2025 R/2025/360
Check Windscreen Bonding reworking if necessary
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- For affected vehicles there is concern that a gap in the windshield urethane seal at the right A-pillar was created. Due to the gap water can ingress with possible water contamination of the glove box and carpet area including the Body Domain Control unit (BDC) and power distribution box.
- Remedy
- Check bonding of windshield and for water contamination if necessary reseal windscreen and inspect electrical components replacing if required.
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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/2024/403
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.
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Sep 2024 R/2024/383
Integrated Braking System
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On certain vehicles the Integrated Brake (IB) system may be impaired due to contamination between electrical contacts.
- Remedy
- Vehicles that may be affected by contamination are required to have the vehicle's software updated which can detect signal interference before it occurs. If symptoms are detected you should refrain from use of the vehicle and the affected Integrated Brake (IB) system component will be replaced.
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Aug 2024 R/2024/319
Engine Starter Motor / DME Software Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the starter motor may be overloaded due to repeated lengthy attempts to start the engine as the software based overload protection is not sufficient.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles improved software will be installed on the DME (engine starter motor electronics control unit)
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the X5's 80.3% MOT pass rate.
BMW X5 FAQs
How many BMW X5s are there in the UK?
105,687 BMW X5s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 15,517 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW X5 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 an 80.3% first-time pass rate for the BMW X5 across 92,142 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the BMW X5 had any recalls?
59 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW X5. 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 X5?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. 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 X5'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 an X5?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 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 July 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.