80.3%
BMW X5
BMW X5 MOT pass rate and common problems
The BMW X5 passed 80.3% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 8 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the X5 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
79.3%
BMW average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The X5 runs 0.9 points ahead of the BMW average. It is 22nd of the 28 BMW models in the data. The average X5 arrived at its test 10.5 years old with 90,496 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
X5 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
BMW X5 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 87% of MOT tests. For cars aged 11 years and over that fell to 71.5%, a drop of 15.5 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 18,088 | 87% | 14.7 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 31,554 | 85.9% | 13.6 pts above |
| 11 years and over | 36,649 | 71.5% | 0.8 pts below |
That is a steep decline with age, so the headline rate flatters older examples. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where X5 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on BMW X5 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment together account for 43.9% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common X5 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on BMW X5 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 42.5% of everything testers recorded against failed BMW X5 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a X5
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, condition has ply or cords exposed and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. 20.3% of failure items.
2
Suspension
Recorded most often: ball joint excessively worn and pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn. 8.8% of failure items.
3
Visibility
Recorded most often: washers provides insufficient washer liquid and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively. 5.2% of failure items.
4
Body, chassis, structure
Recorded most often: joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. 3.4% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific X5 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used BMW X5 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
BMW X5 MOT FAQs
What is the BMW X5 MOT pass rate?
80.3% of BMW X5 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 92,142 tests. That is 8 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 196th of 575 models.
What does a BMW X5 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on BMW X5 cars failing their 2025 MOT was condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, on 8.1% of failure items. Next were condition has ply or cords exposed (8%) and ball joint excessively worn (5.2%).
Which area causes the most BMW X5 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 23.5%, followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 20.4%.
Do older BMW X5 cars fail their MOT more often?
BMW X5 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 87% of MOT tests in 2025, against 71.5% for cars aged 11 years and over.
Does this mean every BMW X5 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every BMW X5 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific BMW X5's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.