BMW 520: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 520 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 77,402 individual BMW 520 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate80.2%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+3.5 points
Tests analysed77,402
Average mileage at test118,365 miles
Average year of manufacture2012
Reliability rank1,434 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 80.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 BMW 520s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average BMW 520 tested had covered 118,365 miles and was built around 2012.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW 520 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific BMW 520 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged BMW 520s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 520

  1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.7% of tests (3.05x the national rate for this defect)
  2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.8% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.9% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
  4. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.1% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
  5. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.8% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.3% of tests
  7. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.7% of tests
  8. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.5% of tests
  9. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.2% of tests
  10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.1% of tests

From 130,276 DVSA-tracked BMW 520 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.3% of these flagged BMW 520 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW 520 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each BMW 520 year:

BMW 520 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

Other BMW models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate