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MOT fail rates

BMW X5 MOT fail rate by age

How often the BMW X5 fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 366,311 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated

At 3 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 3 (n=29,231)14.3%
All cars at 3 years (n=8,016,463)12.1%
Median mileage at test28,748
All cars, median mileage22,806

250 of 343 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 3 years.

What stands out

  • At 3 years the BMW X5 fails 14.3% of MOTs (29,231 tests), 2.2 points above the 12.1% for all cars that age. At 23 years it fails 38.1% (1,324 tests), 1.6 points below the 39.6% average.
  • The gap is widest at 15 years: 14.0 points below all cars.
  • At 3 years its listed fail items are all wear items, led by Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords at 8.9 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age

3 years 23 years 47.6%

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

BMW X5: share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
AgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifferenceMedian mileage
3 years14.3%29,23112.1%+2.2 pts28,748 miles
4 years13.5%27,68613.4%+0.1 pts36,835 miles
5 years12.7%26,94515.3%−2.6 pts45,325 miles
6 years13.1%28,25217.8%−4.7 pts54,884 miles
7 years13.7%26,67120.6%−6.9 pts64,611 miles
8 years13.5%24,83423.8%−10.3 pts74,052 miles
9 years14.9%22,07127.1%−12.2 pts82,573 miles
10 years17.6%19,84030.3%−12.7 pts91,792 miles
11 years19.8%16,91233.3%−13.4 pts100,376 miles
12 years23.2%15,38836.0%−12.8 pts107,798 miles
13 years25.0%15,86738.3%−13.2 pts114,456 miles
14 years26.7%15,13040.3%−13.5 pts120,915 miles
15 years27.6%14,85541.6%−14.0 pts127,921 miles
16 years32.5%14,49542.6%−10.1 pts135,179 miles
17 years36.6%16,44143.1%−6.5 pts139,719 miles
18 years37.7%15,77343.3%−5.5 pts142,822 miles
19 years39.5%13,85043.2%−3.7 pts144,271 miles
20 years38.6%11,13142.8%−4.2 pts144,909 miles
21 years37.8%6,40742.1%−4.3 pts141,212 miles
22 years38.2%3,20841.0%−2.8 pts135,302 miles
23 years38.1%1,32439.6%−1.6 pts134,763 miles

Most common fail items at 3 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

None among the ten most common fail items.

Wear and upkeep

Fail itemPer 100 MOTs
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major8.9
Tyre with cords exposed Dangerous4.7
Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements Major1.1
Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Dangerous0.9
Headlight aimed too high Major0.9
Side repeaters: not working Major0.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous0.6
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Major0.5
Wipers not clearing screen Major0.4
Tyre condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Dangerous0.4

Out of 29,231 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 3 years

ModelMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
BMW 3 Series14.4%89,86512.1%
BMW 1 Series10.4%89,39312.1%
BMW 2 Series11.3%54,04912.1%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated .

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First usedAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
200222 years in 202438.1%1,03241.0%
200322 years in 202536.6%1,44441.0%
200421 years in 202536.4%2,22742.1%
200520 years in 202536.8%4,08342.8%
200619 years in 202537.6%2,47343.2%
200718 years in 202530.4%2,80043.3%
200817 years in 202527.8%2,85543.1%
200916 years in 202528.3%3,53642.6%
201015 years in 202524.0%3,32641.6%
201114 years in 202523.2%3,58040.3%
201213 years in 202523.4%3,74538.3%
201312 years in 202521.7%3,25836.0%
201411 years in 202515.4%5,17933.3%
201510 years in 202515.2%6,77130.3%
20169 years in 202513.1%6,28127.1%
20178 years in 202513.3%5,99323.8%
20187 years in 202514.5%6,91020.6%
20196 years in 202512.7%8,44317.8%
20205 years in 202511.7%4,89115.3%
20214 years in 202514.0%6,34813.4%
20223 years in 202514.9%7,84412.1%

More on the BMW X5

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Looking at one BMW X5?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 22 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources