BMW 525: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 525 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 1.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 13,485 individual BMW 525 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 75.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 24 in every 100 BMW 525s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average BMW 525 tested had covered 139,697 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 525 sits 1.1 points below the national average, ranked 1,602 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 525 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 recorded closing bids for damaged BMW 525s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 525

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.5% of tests (16.52x the national rate for this defect)
2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 1.8% of tests (4.24x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.4% of tests (2.36x the national rate for this defect)
4. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.5% of tests (1.95x the national rate for this defect)
5. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.2% of tests (1.65x the national rate for this defect)
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 7.7% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.6% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this defect)
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 3.5% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.8% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)

From 13,469 DVSA-tracked BMW 525 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.51% of these flagged BMW 525 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 525

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a BMW 525 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 7.6% of tests (13.59x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 3.4% of tests (3.09x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 15.7% of tests (2.82x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.2% of tests (2.42x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 29% of tests (2.17x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 12.5% of tests (2.01x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.1% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 32.2% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 11.9% of tests
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 8.9% of tests

From 13,469 DVSA-tracked BMW 525 tests, 2024.

BMW 525 pass rate by model year

From its 2001 to its 2015 model year, the BMW 525's first-time pass rate has risen 17.8 points, from 70.6% to 88.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each BMW 525 year:

• 2001 BMW 525 - 70.6% first-time pass, 490 tests
• 2002 BMW 525 - 72.3% first-time pass, 669 tests
• 2003 BMW 525 - 67.6% first-time pass, 652 tests
• 2004 BMW 525 - 69.4% first-time pass, 963 tests
• 2005 BMW 525 - 73.6% first-time pass, 1,389 tests
• 2006 BMW 525 - 75.3% first-time pass, 1,284 tests
• 2007 BMW 525 - 75% first-time pass, 1,543 tests
• 2008 BMW 525 - 77.9% first-time pass, 1,405 tests
• 2009 BMW 525 - 79% first-time pass, 1,041 tests
• 2010 BMW 525 - 80% first-time pass, 867 tests
• 2011 BMW 525 - 81.6% first-time pass, 745 tests
• 2012 BMW 525 - 76.6% first-time pass, 282 tests
• 2013 BMW 525 - 79.8% first-time pass, 203 tests
• 2014 BMW 525 - 86.8% first-time pass, 418 tests
• 2015 BMW 525 - 88.4% first-time pass, 473 tests
• 2016 BMW 525 - 86.5% first-time pass, 237 tests

BMW 525 by fuel type

The BMW 525's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.9 points: diesel passes first time 76.8% of the time (9,806 tests) against 74.9% for petrol (3,552 tests).

• Diesel BMW 525 - 76.8% first-time pass, 9,806 tests
• Petrol BMW 525 - 74.9% first-time pass, 3,552 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mercedes Motorhome - 75.7%
• Vauxhall Mokka - 75.6%
• Land Rover Discovery - 75.6%
• Audi Allroad - 75.6%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 114 Progressive Cdi - 75.6%
• Vauxhall Combo 2300 Edition Td - 75.6%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate