MOT failure data · 2025

BMW X5 MOT problems

Across every BMW X5 that failed its 2025 MOT, the defect testers recorded most often was condition has ply or cords exposed, on 7.29% of failure items. The broadest problem area was suspension at 21.02%. These are recorded defects across the model, not a diagnosis of any one car.

Most common BMW X5 MOT failures

#	Recorded defect	Area	Share
1	Condition has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	7.29%
2	Ball joint ball joint excessively worn	Suspension	6.22%
3	Condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	5.85%
4	Tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	4.64%
5	Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn	Suspension	4.13%
6	Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Body, chassis, structure	4.06%
7	Coil spring fractured or broken	Suspension	2.48%
8	Position lamp not working	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2.41%
9	Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Suspension	2.16%
10	Side repeaters not working	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2.1%

Shares are of all recorded failure items for this model, so they sum to less than 100% — a single failed test often records several defects, and the long tail below the top 10 is not shown.

What this means if you are buying one

Use it as a viewing checklist. If you are looking at a BMW X5, these are the areas worth inspecting and worth asking about — and worth reading the car's own MOT history for, since a defect that keeps reappearing as an advisory is a better signal than any model-wide average.

The MOT record also has hard limits: it does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox, and it says nothing about outstanding finance, insurance write-off history, stolen markers or whether the mileage is genuine. Our used BMW X5 buying guide covers what to check beyond the MOT.

Checking a specific BMW X5?

Enter its registration for finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history.

Other BMW models

BMW X5 MOT FAQs

What does a BMW X5 most commonly fail its MOT on?

The single most recorded defect on BMW X5 cars failing their 2025 MOT was "condition has ply or cords exposed", appearing on 7.29% of failure items.

Does this mean my BMW X5 will fail?

No. This is what testers recorded across every BMW X5 that failed in 2025. It shows where this model tends to need attention, not the condition of any individual car. The BMW X5 passed 83.17% of its initial tests.

How do I see a specific BMW X5's MOT history?

Enter its registration on our free MOT history check to see that car's own test results, advisories and recorded mileages.

Defect counts from the DVSA MOT Anonymised test-item data for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, failure items only — advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.