BMW 530: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW 530 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 2.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 22,403 individual BMW 530 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 78.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 21 in every 100 BMW 530s 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 530 tested had covered 128,803 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The BMW 530 sits 2.2 points above the national average, ranked 1,484 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 530 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 530s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW 530

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1% of tests (10.87x the national rate for this defect)
2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 1.2% of tests (2.98x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.8% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.8% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 1.7% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.4% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.1% of tests
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.7% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.6% of tests

From 22,345 DVSA-tracked BMW 530 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.08% of these flagged BMW 530 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW 530

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 530 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 4.4% of tests (7.9x 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, 2.4% of tests (2.14x 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, 11.4% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 21.9% of tests (1.64x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.1% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 9.6% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.3% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 31.9% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.1% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8.8% of tests

From 22,345 DVSA-tracked BMW 530 tests, 2024.

BMW 530 pass rate by model year

From its 2001 to its 2016 model year, the BMW 530's first-time pass rate has risen 16.1 points, from 72.5% to 88.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each BMW 530 year:

• 2000 BMW 530 - 70.7% first-time pass, 246 tests
• 2001 BMW 530 - 72.5% first-time pass, 600 tests
• 2002 BMW 530 - 73.7% first-time pass, 1,014 tests
• 2003 BMW 530 - 70.2% first-time pass, 1,136 tests
• 2004 BMW 530 - 73.6% first-time pass, 1,233 tests
• 2005 BMW 530 - 73.2% first-time pass, 1,405 tests
• 2006 BMW 530 - 74.7% first-time pass, 1,544 tests
• 2007 BMW 530 - 77.7% first-time pass, 1,583 tests
• 2008 BMW 530 - 78.8% first-time pass, 1,235 tests
• 2009 BMW 530 - 80.4% first-time pass, 1,084 tests
• 2010 BMW 530 - 78.6% first-time pass, 2,064 tests
• 2011 BMW 530 - 79.9% first-time pass, 1,475 tests
• 2012 BMW 530 - 78.8% first-time pass, 987 tests
• 2013 BMW 530 - 86.2% first-time pass, 777 tests
• 2014 BMW 530 - 86.5% first-time pass, 1,794 tests
• 2015 BMW 530 - 87.1% first-time pass, 1,887 tests
• 2016 BMW 530 - 88.6% first-time pass, 1,575 tests
• 2017 BMW 530 - 88% first-time pass, 259 tests

BMW 530 by fuel type

The BMW 530's two most-tested fuel types split by 3 points: diesel passes first time 79.8% of the time (19,127 tests) against 76.8% for petrol (3,005 tests).

• Diesel BMW 530 - 79.8% first-time pass, 19,127 tests
• Petrol BMW 530 - 76.8% first-time pass, 3,005 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

• Ford Unclassified - 79%
• Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Crd A - 79%
• Skoda Octavia - 78.9%
• Audi Tt - 78.8%
• Ford Transit Courier - 78.8%
• Honda Stepwagon - 78.8%

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