BMW M5: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW M5 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 11.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,952 individual BMW M5 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 88.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 12 in every 100 BMW M5s 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 M5 tested had covered 81,129 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 M5 sits 11.8 points above the national average, ranked 922 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 M5 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 M5s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW M5

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.1% of tests (3.03x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 0.6% of tests (2.25x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.6% of tests
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.5% of tests
5. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.2% of tests
6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.1% of tests
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.1% of tests
9. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.1% of tests
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.7% of tests

From 3,921 DVSA-tracked BMW M5 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.06% of these flagged BMW M5 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a BMW M5

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 M5 before it actually fails on it.

1. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 17.4% of tests, also fails
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 9.4% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8.4% of tests
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 6.4% of tests
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.6% of tests
7. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 4.3% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3.1% of tests
9. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 1.5% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.4% of tests, also fails

From 3,921 DVSA-tracked BMW M5 tests, 2024.

BMW M5 pass rate by model year

From its 2013 to its 2016 model year, the BMW M5's first-time pass rate has risen 2.1 points, from 88.5% to 90.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each BMW M5 year:

• 2000 BMW M5 - 83.4% first-time pass, 223 tests
• 2001 BMW M5 - 85.1% first-time pass, 248 tests
• 2005 BMW M5 - 88.7% first-time pass, 231 tests
• 2006 BMW M5 - 86.4% first-time pass, 242 tests
• 2007 BMW M5 - 92.4% first-time pass, 237 tests
• 2012 BMW M5 - 92.3% first-time pass, 286 tests
• 2013 BMW M5 - 88.5% first-time pass, 478 tests
• 2014 BMW M5 - 90.7% first-time pass, 440 tests
• 2015 BMW M5 - 89.2% first-time pass, 369 tests
• 2016 BMW M5 - 90.6% first-time pass, 394 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

• Volvo Xc40 First Edition P8 Awd - 88.6%
• Audi A8 - 88.5%
• Peugeot Unclassified - 88.5%
• Vauxhall Corsa Elite Nav Premium Trbo A - 88.5%
• Hyundai I10 Premium Mpi - 88.5%
• Mercedes-Benz A 250 Amg Line Executive E A - 88.5%

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