Petrol BMW 520: MOT pass rate
73.6% of petrol BMW 520s pass the MOT first time, measured across 2,692 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 108,032.
Petrol against the other BMW 520 versions
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 81% | 74,207 |
| Petrol | 73.6% | 2,692 |
| All BMW 520 | 80.7% | 76,919 |
Why the fuel type changes the number
Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.
On the BMW 520 specifically, diesel is the strongest at 81%, and this petrol version sits 7.1 points below the 80.7% model average.
What it means if you are buying one
The petrol BMW 520 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.
Mileage is part of the answer
The average petrol BMW 520 had covered 108,032 miles at test, against 119,694 for the diesel. That is above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust.
Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the BMW 520 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.
Other BMW 520 fuel types
- Diesel BMW 520 - 81%