Petrol BMW 530: MOT pass rate

76.8% of petrol BMW 530s pass the MOT first time, measured across 3,005 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 125,621.

Petrol against the other BMW 530 versions

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 530 specifically, diesel is the strongest at 79.8%, and this petrol version sits 2.7 points below the 79.5% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The petrol BMW 530 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. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average petrol BMW 530 had covered 125,621 miles at test, against 130,855 for the diesel. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.

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 530 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a petrol BMW 530

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.6% of tests (17.26x the national rate for this defect)
2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 2.1% of tests (4.97x the national rate for this defect)
3. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.2% of tests (2.99x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.1% of tests (2.8x the national rate for this defect)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.4% of tests (2.24x the national rate for this defect)
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.6% of tests (1.96x the national rate for this defect)
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.3% of tests (1.81x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 7.3% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this defect)
9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.7% of tests (1.36x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.2% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this defect)

From 3,052 DVSA-tracked petrol BMW 530 tests, 2024, split out from the BMW 530's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 3.34% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a petrol BMW 530

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 7.6% of tests (13.62x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 23.4% of tests (4.2x the national rate for this defect)
3. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 4.7% of tests (4.2x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 18.2% of tests (2.94x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.1% of tests (2.53x the national rate for this defect)
6. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.5% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 23.5% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this defect), also fails
8. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.9% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 24.4% of tests
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 12.5% of tests

From 3,052 DVSA-tracked petrol BMW 530 tests, 2024.

Other BMW 530 fuel types

• Diesel BMW 530 - 79.8%

All BMW 530 MOT data · Every model