MOT Risk Index.co.uk

BMW X5 — MOT statistics 2024

The BMW X5 failed 20.81% of 91,002 first MOT attempts in 2024 ("first-time", excluding retests). Adjusted for the age of the fleet, its initial-failure ratio is 73.5 (100 = expected for its age profile). This car fails its MOT about 26% less often than expected for its age.

MOT risk index 73.5, 95% CI 72.6–74.5 (100 = national average) 100 73.5 0 200
Index
73.5
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
20.81%
n = 91,002
Dangerous /100
12
national ≈11
Diesel − petrol
-5.2 pp
fail-rate gap
Rank
206 of 761
lower index = better

Age-adjusted peer: Audi TT (index 73.4) — the two published results are 0.1 index points apart.

BMW X5 common problems: what actually fails the MOT

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment are well below the reference at 15.5 per 100 tests, against 19.5 per 100 tests across UK vehicles of the same ages.

higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests

BMW X5 common problems: what actually fails the MOT — 2024 UK MOT data

family vs national — matched to UK vehicles of the same ages — top component groups, per 100 tests. Legend: This family · National avg. Combined labels: family / national average. A gap here reflects how these vehicles are driven, used and maintained as well as how they were built — an MOT defect is a test outcome, not a breakdown.

Component-group comparison table

Each ratio carries a 95% interval. With 6 groups compared here, roughly one apparent difference in twenty is chance alone.

GroupThis familyCases behind itUK, same agesFamily / national
Lamps & electrical15.581,06119.50.80×0.79–0.80
Suspension13.068,14416.60.79×0.78–0.79
Brakes11.560,03812.70.91×0.90–0.92
Tyres11.157,7798.91.24×1.23–1.25
Body & structure8.242,9286.31.30×1.29–1.32
Visibility8.041,9158.30.96×0.95–0.97
Named defects — items per 100 initial tests, this family vs UK national average; this model measured on 522,338 tests, 2019-2024, national column 2024
What failedper 100 tests (this family)per 100 tests (UK average)ratio family / UKWhat to check
Tyre cords visible or damagedA tyre cords visible or damaged3.991.632.45×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated3.521.482.38×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely d
Suspension pin, bush or joint excessively wornA suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.684.871.37×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc2.641.561.69×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or
Tyre seriously damagedA tyre seriously damaged3.492.541.37×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirementParking brake efficiency below minimum requirement2.171.241.75×Feel for brake judder and pulling on the test drive
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously…Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view2.882.361.22×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corrodedBrake pipe damaged or excessively corroded1.851.411.32×Look underneath for rust or cracks around subframe and suspension mountings
Suspension joint dust cover severely deterioratedA suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated2.001.901.05×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.923.590.81×Check tyre tread depth across the full width

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

BMW X5 MOT advisories: what gets flagged

Tyres are highest at 40.3 per 100 tests; Lamps & electrical are lowest at 2.6 per 100 tests — the gap is 37.7 per 100 tests.

higher bar = flagged more oftenadvisory items per 100 initial tests

BMW X5 MOT advisories: what gets flagged — 2024 UK MOT data
Advisory rates table
GroupAdvisories per 100
Tyres40.3
Brakes27.2
Suspension20.8
Non-component advisories7.6
Emissions & leaks7.1
Lamps & electrical2.6

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres, brakes and suspension: BMW X5 against cars of the same age

AgePartBMW X5Same age, petrol and dieselDifference
3 yearsTyres8.544.174.37
3 yearsBrakes0.71.77-1.07
3 yearsSuspension0.480.63-0.15
4 yearsTyres7.334.542.79
4 yearsBrakes1.172.43-1.26
4 yearsSuspension0.561.21-0.65
5 yearsTyres6.975.061.91
5 yearsBrakes1.243.09-1.85
5 yearsSuspension0.952.19-1.24
6 yearsTyres7.275.541.73
6 yearsBrakes1.453.81-2.36
6 yearsSuspension1.343.72-2.38
7 yearsTyres7.265.951.31
7 yearsBrakes1.934.55-2.62
7 yearsSuspension2.145.68-3.54
8 yearsTyres6.946.310.63
8 yearsBrakes2.145.38-3.24
8 yearsSuspension3.267.78-4.52

Failing items per 100 initial tests, 2019-2024. The comparison group is every petrol or diesel car tested at the same age, so weight and drivetrain show up rather than fleet age.

If a car like this fails, does it fail again?

A failure rate does not say whether a failure is a one-off or the start of something. This follows the same vehicles into their next ordinary MOT a year later — retests after a repair are excluded, because they follow a failure by definition. 2019-2024.

After this year's testFails next yearVehicles followed
It failed29.0%24,614
It passed20.0%285,300

A failed test raises next year's chance of failing again by 9.0 percentage points. The failure most likely to come back is body, chassis, structure — 32.0% of those vehicles fail again next year. Some of this is the vehicle and some is the owner: a car that was let go once tends to be let go again. One caveat: a car that fails may be sold or scrapped rather than tested again, so these figures describe the vehicles that came back.

Adjusted for how much these are actually driven

The headline index adjusts for the fleet's age. Wear, though, follows mileage: a three-year-old taxi and a three-year-old garage queen sit in the same age band. These two rows compare every car with vehicles of the same age, and then with vehicles of the same age and the same annual mileage, 2019-2024, on 515,254 tests. Both stand on the six-year corpus so they are measured on identical data — compare them with each other, not with the headline index above, which is measured on 2024 alone.

Standardised forIndexReading
Age only78.8fails less often than expected
Age and annual mileage73.0fails less often than vehicles driven as much
Share doing under 3,000 miles a year1.0%a normal spread of use

Mileage matters here: matching on how much these are driven moves the figure by 5.8 points — this fleet works harder than the vehicles it is measured against, so the age-only view penalises it — but it does not change which side of normal the car sits on. One limit to keep in mind: mileage is partly a result of how often a car breaks down — one that spends weeks in the workshop covers fewer miles — so the mileage-matched figure can understate a real weakness. Tests with no usable odometer reading are left out of it.

How the BMW X5 compares with cars of its own age and size

Not against the whole fleet — against cars of the same size class tested at the same age, 2019-2024.

AgeBMW X5Same class, same ageDifferenceTests
3 years13.29%10.68%+2.61 pp44,730
4 years13.51%12.3%+1.21 pp41,856
5 years13.38%14.19%-0.81 pp41,568
6 years14.32%16.13%-1.82 pp36,126
7 years15.36%18.33%-2.96 pp33,344
8 years16.59%20.65%-4.06 pp31,057
9 years18.97%23.21%-4.24 pp28,828
10 years21.41%25.71%-4.3 pp26,177
11 years24.26%28.33%-4.08 pp24,461
12 years26.5%30.68%-4.18 pp25,555
13 years30.57%32.69%-2.12 pp25,363
14 years35.34%34.56%+0.79 pp28,698
15 years37.06%36%+1.06 pp28,552
16 years39.82%36.99%+2.83 pp27,885
17 years40.75%37.35%+3.4 pp25,239
18 years41.23%37.72%+3.51 pp20,971
19 years41.15%37.33%+3.83 pp14,866
20 years40.66%36.88%+3.78 pp8,122

Raw first-time failure rates within each age, so fleet age cannot flatter either side. A positive difference means this model fails more often than its own class at that age.

How does the BMW X5 perform as it gets older?

The X5 at age 14 is well below the reference at 24.4%, against 40.4% for all vehicles of the same age.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

How does the BMW X5 perform as it gets older? — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: car age, years · failure-rate scale 0–47%.

Takeaway: a 10-year-old X5 has roughly a 14% chance of failing its MOT.

Data table
AgeBMW X5All vehiclesGap
315.5%12.4%+3.1 pp
411.9%13.1%-1.2 pp
512.5%15.1%-2.7 pp
614.5%17.5%-3.0 pp
714.0%20.2%-6.1 pp
813.2%23.3%-10.1 pp
913.9%26.5%-12.6 pp
1014.3%30.1%-15.8 pp
1120.7%33.2%-12.5 pp
1223.3%35.7%-12.4 pp
1323.5%38.2%-14.7 pp
1424.4%40.4%-16.0 pp
1526.4%41.6%-15.2 pp
1629.1%43.1%-14.0 pp
1732.4%43.1%-10.7 pp
1839.5%43.9%-4.4 pp
1939.3%43.5%-4.2 pp
2038.8%41.0%-2.3 pp

Is a BMW X5 ULEZ compliant?

The share of classifiable 2024 BMW X5 MOT tests likely ULEZ compliant by first-registration date is 49.4%.

Based on 90,556 classifiable initial MOT tests. This describes the tested fleet, not a specific car. MOT data do not record Euro class, so likely compliance is inferred from fuel and first-registration date. For the only authoritative answer, check the registration with TfL's official ULEZ checker.

higher = larger share likely compliantinferred from fuel and first-registration date; not a recorded Euro class

Age-band estimate from classifiable initial MOT tests
Vehicle age at testLikely ULEZ-compliant shareTests
Under 3 yearsSuppressed — sample below publication threshold
Check a registration with TfL
n = 312
3–5 years100.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 20,495
6–7 years100.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 13,066
8 years100.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 6,322
9 years52.6%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 6,826
10–14 years1.3%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 19,871
15–17 years5.4%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 9,967
18 years5.3%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 2,995
19 years0.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 4,757
20+ years0.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 5,945

BMW X5 petrol vs diesel: which ages best

Petrol is highest at 26.3%; Electric-diesel is lowest at 12.1% — the gap is 14.2 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

BMW X5 petrol vs diesel: which ages best — 2024 UK MOT data
Fuel split table
FuelTests% failingGap vs best
Diesel73,15821.1%+9.0 pp
Petrol7,22926.3%+14.2 pp
Hybrid7,21216.4%+4.3 pp
Electric-diesel3,32412.1%+0.0 pp

Chart sample sizes: n=73k · n=7,229 · n=7,212 · n=3,324.

How dangerous are BMW X5 MOT failures?

Major defects are well below the reference at 45.0 per 100 tests, against 52.8 per 100 tests nationally.

higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests

How dangerous are BMW X5 MOT failures? — 2024 UK MOT data
Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100Family / national
Minor16.6314.221.17×
Major44.9952.750.85×
Dangerous11.6111.151.04×

Chart values: Minor 16.6 · Major 45.0 · Dangerous 11.6.

Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 14.2 · Major 52.8 · Dangerous 11.2 per 100.

Does the month of a BMW X5 MOT matter?

Jan is highest at 25.9%; Dec is lowest at 22.7% — the gap is 3.3 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Does the month of a BMW X5 MOT matter? — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart scale: 21%–33%.

bars: BMW X5 · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthBMW X5All vehiclesGap
Jan25.94%31.12%-5.2 pp
Feb25.44%29.99%-4.5 pp
Mar24.88%28.26%-3.4 pp
Apr24.95%29.78%-4.8 pp
May24.01%28.79%-4.8 pp
Jun23.43%28.15%-4.7 pp
Jul24.34%29.33%-5.0 pp
Aug24.38%29.2%-4.8 pp
Sep23.27%28.19%-4.9 pp
Oct24.58%30.34%-5.8 pp
Nov24.21%30.58%-6.4 pp
Dec22.69%29.33%-6.6 pp

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 3.3 percentage points — noticeable seasonality. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.

Before reading the shape: most of it is not about cars. Britain changes its registration plates twice a year, and 18.9% of these cars were first registered in March with another17.1% in September — 36% in two months against the 17% an even spread would give. An MOT falls due three years after first registration, so the buying calendar becomes the testing calendar. That shapes how many cars are tested each month — not how often they fail: the busiest months here are not the worst ones, so read the failure line on its own and the volume behind it separately.

BMW X5 average mileage by age

At age 8, the middle half of X5s runs from 56,965 miles to 90,555 miles, against 72,987 miles as the median.

further right = more milesmedian is the typical car; band is p25–p75

Bars: BMW X5 · dashed: all class-4 cars — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: car age, years · odometer scale 0–178k mi.

Does high mileage mean more BMW X5 MOT failures at the same age?

Within the same age group, split by odometer (2024 MOTs), so this separates wear from age: at ages 6–9, 11.5% of those with under 40,000 miles failed first time versus 17.3% of those with over 140,000 miles.Inside this age group, higher mileage goes with more failures.

Does high mileage mean more BMW X5 MOT failures at the same age? — 2024 UK MOT data
BMW X5: first-time failure by mileage within each age group (2024)
AgeOdometer% failing95% intervalTests
3–5<40k miles12.3%11.7–12.9%11,237
3–540-70k miles14.3%13.5–15%7,780
3–570-100k miles16.9%14.9–19.1%1,213
3–5100-140k miles12.5%8.8–17.4%232 (rough estimate)
6–9<40k miles11.5%10.3–12.7%2,781
6–940-70k miles13.3%12.7–14%11,055
6–970-100k miles14.6%13.8–15.3%8,658
6–9100-140k miles15.9%14.7–17.2%3,079
6–9140k+ miles17.3%14.5–20.5%630
10–14<40k miles13.2%9.8–17.5%296 (rough estimate)
10–1440-70k miles15.7%14.1–17.3%2,050
10–1470-100k miles18.9%17.9–19.9%6,126
10–14100-140k miles22.3%21.4–23.2%8,273
10–14140k+ miles24%22.5–25.5%3,123
15+<40k miles23.8%15.8–34.1%80 (rough estimate)
15+40-70k miles26.4%22.8–30.4%519
15+70-100k miles30%28.2–31.9%2,340
15+100-140k miles34.6%33.6–35.6%8,868
15+140k+ miles35.8%35–36.7%11,397

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
323,20831,58442,7456,956
427,34736,86648,3454,991
533,66143,95156,3778,548
642,78455,42169,2406,994
749,72064,26580,6326,072
856,96572,98790,5556,322
965,85582,409100,6916,826
1074,57292,160112,6775,295
1180,184100,025121,6793,328
1289,250108,384128,2393,882
1393,269113,534134,0293,842
14100,590120,208142,1763,524
15106,207127,410148,1863,737
16113,181133,609155,0473,061
17116,598139,118159,5833,175
18122,794146,383169,9522,996
19121,787146,078169,5234,769
20+118,863142,910168,8996,004

A typical 8-year-old X5 has ~72,987 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

Where in Britain the BMW X5 fails its MOT most

Torquay area is highest at 37.4%; Enfield area is lowest at 16.2% — the gap is 21.2 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Where in Britain the BMW X5 fails its MOT most — 2024 UK MOT data
Toughest areas% failingvs model overall
Torquay (TQ)37.35%+13.0 pp
Exeter (EX)36.32%+12.0 pp
Dorchester (DT)35.4%+11.1 pp
Kirkcaldy (KY)34.7%+10.4 pp
Portsmouth (PO)34.68%+10.3 pp
Easiest areas% failingvs model overall
Enfield (EN)16.17%-8.2 pp
Bromley (BR)16.83%-7.5 pp
London E (E)17.84%-6.5 pp
Ilford (IG)18.15%-6.2 pp
Liverpool (L)18.62%-5.7 pp

Why do areas differ?

For each external factor we correlate the area fail rate with the factor across postcode areas that have ≥800 tests of this family, then compare the bottom vs top fifth (quintile) of the factor. Correlation, not causation — factors travel together (the north is colder and often poorer; urban areas are denser and less salted). Road surface condition is joined now, for the 91 English areas the DfT publishes, and it explains nothing: the correlation with suspension failures is −0.01 and with body and structure failures 0.07. Potholes wreck wheels and tyres between tests, but by the time a car reaches the bay the road it drives on leaves no measurable trace.

In areas with the highest urban share this model fails 7.6 pp less often than in the lowest fifth (r=-0.50, n=113 areas with ≥800 tests).

In areas with the highest mot centre density this model fails 6.7 pp more often than in the lowest fifth (r=0.42, n=113 areas with ≥800 tests).

In the most coastal fifth of areas this model fails 6.0 pp more often than in the most inland fifth (r=-0.41, n=113 areas with ≥800 tests).

BMW X5 Why do areas differ? — 2024 UK MOT data
Values shown in the quintile chart
FactorLow QHigh QGapCorrelation
Urban share27.9%20.3%-7.6 ppr=-0.50
MOT centre density21.2%27.8%+6.6 ppr=0.42
Distance to coast28.9%22.8%-6.1 ppr=-0.41

Factors that only mean something combined

Some conditions are useless on their own and informative multiplied together. Frost days alone say little — Britain barely freezes. Salt tonnage alone says little — it tracks frost. Distance to the sea alone says little. Multiply the first two and divide by the third and you get an index of how hard an area attacks a car's underside, and it lines up with the corrosion defects we actually record. We built five such combinations and tested each against our own data. Three survived; two did not, and the failures are listed here on purpose — a proxy that was never checked is decoration. One survivor only survived on the second attempt: built from a crude stand-in for street parking it failed outright, and rebuilt from the census — terraced streets carrying more cars than they have driveways — it works, and carries information the salt index does not.

Composite area indicators, each tested against a defect rate we measure
CompositeBuilt fromTested againstrVerdict
Underbody corrosionfrost days × salt load ÷ (distance to coast + 1)share of tests with a corrosion defect+0.42holds (116 areas)
Tyre wearrain days × annual miles ÷ age at first tyre advisoryshare of tests failing on tyres+0.45holds (116 areas)
Overnight corrosionterraced housing × cars per household × frost daysshare with a corrosion defect+0.41holds (102 areas) — and adds signal beyond the first index
Deferred maintenancedeprivation × advisory-to-failure conversion ÷ labour ratecars repeating the same advisory−0.26fails (118 areas)
Powertrain stressengine capacity ÷ kerb weightsuspension, brake and emissions failures−0.16fails (22 models)

The deprivation result is the one worth dwelling on. The intuition that poorer areas defer repairs is strong enough that most people treat it as established. We tested it twice — once on raw failure rates (r = 0.04) and again, more fairly, on whether an advisory turns into a failure — and it did not hold any of the three times we tried it — on raw failure rates, on advisory-to-failure conversion, and again with deprivation measured properly inside each nation rather than England alone. We are closing it. What does predict local failure rates is the density of test centres, which is a statement about testing, not about cars.

All external-factor correlations (machine-readable)
Factorrn areasLow-Q fail %High-Q fail %Gap ppLow-Q factorHigh-Q factor
Urban share (0–1)-0.49811327.920.3-7.60.41
MOT centre density (per 10k vehicles)0.42511321.227.8+6.758.5
Distance to coast (km)-0.41011328.922.8-6.06.279.5
Income deprivation (score)-0.3169725.621.8-3.80.10.2
Terrain gradient (% grade)0.1416724.526.6+2.00.53.7
Road-salt proxy (g/m²-yr)-0.01811324.725.1+0.4221.2670.1
Frost days (days/year)-0.01411326.325.0-1.311.638

Deprivation uses England IMD 2019 income score only (Scotland SIMD is a different scale). Salt proxy is a simplified NWSRG-style dry-salt sum from air Tmin; coastalness is distance from the area centroid to the nearest coastline.

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.

Map labels: Scotland · N. England · Wales · London · S. West. Colour scale: 19%–35% failing.

BMW X5 survival: which cars are still on the road

By age 19 is well below the reference at 37.3%, against 100.0% at the ages 4–6 reference level.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

BMW X5 survival: which cars are still on the road — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: car age, years · survival vs ages 4–6 · scale 0–105%.

Survival vs fail rate by age
AgeTestsSurvival vs ages 4–6Fail %
344,730100%13.29%
441,856100%13.51%
541,568100%13.38%
636,12690.7%14.32%
733,34483.7%15.36%
831,05777.9%16.59%
928,82872.3%18.97%
1026,17765.7%21.41%
1124,46161.4%24.26%
1225,55564.1%26.5%
1325,36363.6%30.57%
1428,69872%35.34%
1528,55271.6%37.06%
1627,88570%39.82%
1725,23963.3%40.75%
1820,97152.6%41.23%
1914,86637.3%41.15%

By age 19, only about 37% as many cars of this family present for MOT as at ages 4–6 (reference n≈39,850); survivors still fail at 41.1% vs 13.5% at age 4. Older cars that still appear are a selected subset — weaker ones have already left.

How many miles does a BMW X5 last?

100,000+ miles is highest at 41.6%; 200,000+ miles is lowest at 1.7% — the gap is 40.0 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

OdometerTests ≥ thresholdShare of sample
100,000+ miles214,73541.64%
150,000+ miles64,40512.49%
200,000+ miles8,6491.68%

Of 515,648 tests of this family with a usable odometer in 2024, 41.6% had reached 100k miles, 12.5% had reached 150k miles, 1.7% had reached 200k miles. This is a cross-section of cars still presenting for MOT, not a full birth cohort.

How many years is a BMW X5 likely to last?

Bought at age 5 is highest at 10.0 years; Bought at age 15 is lowest at 3.6 years — the gap is 6.4 years.

bigger number = longer remaining lifeyears on the observed survival curve

Age nowTypical mileage (p50)Expected years left
5—10
8—9.4
10—9
12—7.2
15—at least 3.6

estimateEstimate only — not a warranty: a typical 10-year-old example of this family has about 9.0 expected years of further MOT-present life on the 2024 survival curve. Derived from how many cars of each age still appear for test, not from a longitudinal panel.

BMW X5 faults that come together

Emissions & leaks + Seatbelts & SRS stand out at 7.30×, against 1.00× if the faults were independent.

above 1.0× = more than expectedbelow 1.0× = less

Group AGroup BTogetherLift
Noise, emissions and leaksSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems5267.3×
BrakesSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems2,7316.9×
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSteering4066.75× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSpeedometer and speed limiter206.44× (rough estimate)
BrakesSteering2,1206.06×
Road WheelsSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems2575.63× (rough estimate)
BrakesNoise, emissions and leaks2,3185.53×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems2,9325.38×
Noise, emissions and leaksSteering3435.38× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksRoad Wheels2585.34× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems2,0725.31×
SteeringSuspension2,3185.25×
Body, chassis, structureSteering1,8045.23×
Identification of the vehicleNoise, emissions and leaks1785.13× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSuspension2,3844.77×
BrakesSuspension13,4294.63×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentNoise, emissions and leaks2,6524.6×
BrakesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment14,3094.52×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSteering2,1694.51×
Identification of the vehicleSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems1474.48× (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleRoad Wheels984.46× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureBrakes10,0514.44×
BrakesRoad Wheels1,1074.17×
Noise, emissions and leaksSuspension2,1624.09×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentRoad Wheels1,4854.07×
Body, chassis, structureNoise, emissions and leaks1,6524×
Road WheelsSuspension1,3173.93×
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsVisibility1,5683.92×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSuspension15,5433.89×
Body, chassis, structureSuspension10,8343.79×
Road WheelsSteering1523.77× (rough estimate)
BrakesIdentification of the vehicle7003.68×
Body, chassis, structureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment11,4663.67×
Noise, emissions and leaksVisibility1,4913.52×
Identification of the vehicleSteering1003.45× (rough estimate)
Road WheelsTyres1,0203.39×
Identification of the vehicleLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment8563.26×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentVisibility10,3363.23×
Road WheelsVisibility8663.23×
BrakesVisibility7,4643.21×
Identification of the vehicleSuspension7633.17×
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsTyres1,4163.16×
Identification of the vehicleVisibility5983.1×
Body, chassis, structureRoad Wheels7983.05×
Noise, emissions and leaksTyres1,4403.03×
SteeringVisibility1,0653.01×
Identification of the vehicleTyres6422.97×
BrakesTyres7,4452.86×
SuspensionVisibility7,9412.7×
Body, chassis, structureVisibility6,1302.67×
Body, chassis, structureIdentification of the vehicle4842.58× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentTyres8,9182.49×
SteeringTyres9752.46×
SuspensionTyres7,8182.38×
TyresVisibility6,2632.38×
Body, chassis, structureTyres5,1392×
BrakesSpeedometer and speed limiter18too few (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSeat belt installation check18too few (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterSuspension14too few (rough estimate)
Buses and coaches supplementary testsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment13too few (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSpeedometer and speed limiter12too few (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterTyres11too few (rough estimate)
Seat belt installation checkVisibility11too few (rough estimate)
Seat belt installation checkSuspension11too few (rough estimate)
BrakesBuses and coaches supplementary tests10too few (rough estimate)
Buses and coaches supplementary testsVisibility10too few (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterVisibility10too few (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSeat belt installation check9too few (rough estimate)
BrakesSeat belt installation check8too few (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksSpeedometer and speed limiter7too few (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureBuses and coaches supplementary tests7too few (rough estimate)
Seat belt installation checkTyres7too few (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterSteering6too few (rough estimate)
Buses and coaches supplementary testsSuspension6too few (rough estimate)
Seat belt installation checkSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems5too few (rough estimate)

Defects in «Noise, emissions and leaks» and «Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems» appear together 7.30× more often than chance (526 co-occurrences in the same test; lift≥1.3, n≥500).

Lift = how many times more often both groups appear on the same test than if independent. A pair is listed from 5 tests with both faults; the lift is shown from 20, and called above chance only when its 95% interval excludes 1 (see rough estimates).

Is low mileage better for a BMW X5?

Cars driven under 5,000 miles a year is well below the reference at 14.0%, against 19.9% for cars driven 8,000–12,000 miles a year.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

BandFail %Tests
<5k miles/year14%16,238
8–12k miles/year19.91%144,508
Gap (low − normal)-5.9 pp—
By fuel and age

Diesel

AgeLow-use fail %nNormal fail %nGap pp
510.212,59513.6115,286-3.4 pp
610.342,04114.4414,227-4.1 pp
710.131,73715.6213,837-5.49 pp
811.881,54916.913,899-5.02 pp
913.731,34719.613,747-5.86 pp
1014.721,16221.9613,160-7.24 pp
1117.461,02525.4312,661-7.97 pp
1220.993827.3513,574-6.45 pp
1320.6188331.3713,580-10.76 pp
1425.2491935.7615,026-10.52 pp

Petrol

AgeLow-use fail %nNormal fail %nGap pp
57.4737511.93528-4.47 pp
69.4719011.94268-2.47 pp
77.6414415.38182-7.75 pp
814.0411415.38143-1.35 pp
987519.55133-11.55 pp
1014.066430.08133-16.01 pp
1115.946923.56174-7.62 pp
1223.0111332.31359-9.3 pp
1327.4614233.25400-5.79 pp
1432.2324238.38753-6.15 pp

At matched ages 5–14, cars averaging under 5k miles/year fail at 14.0% vs 19.9% for 8–12k miles/year — 5.9 pp lower (n_low=16,238, n_normal=144,508). In this family low annual use is associated with fewer MOT fails, not more — the ‘garage queen’ penalty is not visible in overall fail rates. Diesel alone: 13.9% low-use vs 19.9% normal (-5.9 pp).

Best year for a BMW X5, and the years to avoid

Build year 2006 is highest at 110.4; Build year 2014 is lowest at 88.9 — the gap is 21.5 points.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

build year vs the same model at the same age · 100 = as expected

BMW X5 build year vs the same model at the same age · 100 = as expected — 2024 UK MOT data
BMW X5 by build year, tests 2019–2024. Below 100 is better than the model's own age norm.
Every build year with its confidence interval
Build yearvs own age norm95% CIRaw fail %TestsVerdict
20209892.7–103.412.73%10,118no different
201910096.7–103.412.97%26,490no different
2018108104.8–111.314.36%29,518worse
20179390.2–95.812.73%33,264better
20168986.6–91.512.78%39,942better
201591.989.6–94.314.04%42,664better
201488.986.4–91.414.69%33,046better
2013109.4106.1–112.720%21,041worse
2012108.6105.7–111.421.97%25,263worse
201199.196.5–101.622.46%25,494no different
201094.191.7–96.524.15%24,142better
200996.193.9–98.327.57%25,807better
200891.289–93.428.85%22,394better
20079290–94.131.55%25,184better
2006110.4108.2–112.540.8%24,172worse
2005107105.4–108.741.77%40,178worse
2004102.8100.8–104.841.22%24,647worse
2003105.2103–107.443.13%20,331worse
2002103.1100.4–105.942.57%12,435worse
2001105.1101–109.143.64%5,955worse
2000106.385.4–127.144.25%226no different

The best build year here is 2014 and the weakest is 2006. Comparing build years sounds simple and is not: within a single year of testing, a car's build year and its age are the same number, so a naive comparison of years is a comparison of ages wearing a disguise. Each year below is measured against the same model at the same age in other cohorts, across six years of testing — 17 of 21 years come out distinguishable from their own model's age norm.

Two limits worth knowing before you act on this. Age, test year and build year are locked together by arithmetic, so the test-year effect is taken from the observed national failure level of each year rather than estimated — it is an adjustment, not a solution.

BMW X5 MOT repair costs

The MOT-failure repair budget per test runs from £72.34 to £137.45, against £54.85 for the test itself.

bigger number = costs morepounds per test, MOT-failing faults only

MOT repairs, budget
£72–137
per test, repairs only
The test itself
£54.85
statutory cap, unchanged since 2010
How the figure is built: chance of failing × typical price of that repair
ComponentFails per 100 testsTypical repairIts priceContribution
Suspension13.0 (nat. 15.36)Suspension coil spring (single corner)£180£23.40
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15.5 (nat. 18.09)Battery replacement (standard 12V lead-acid)£140£21.70
Brakes11.5 (nat. 11.25)Front brake pads (parts + labour, typical hatchback)£150£17.25
Tyres11.1 (nat. 8.7)Tyre (single mid-range 16" fitted)£90£9.99

Multiply how often each component fails on this model by what that repair usually costs, and you get the amount an owner should expect to budget per test for MOT-failing faults only — roughly £72 to £137, on top of the test fee itself. It is a budgeting figure, not a quote: the spread between a set of pads and a set of discs is most of the range.

Prices are modal quotes from a hand-kept catalogue of published UK garage guides — we do not scrape the booking sites, their terms forbid it, so this list is short and updated by hand with a source and date against each line. Each line prices one typical repair in that group, not a full remedy, and only groups our catalogue actually covers are counted. The contrast worth noticing is the second card: the legal maximum for the test has been £54.85 since 2010, while the repairs it uncovers have followed inflation the whole time.

For scale from a different direction: Warrantywise, which sees used-car warranty claims rather than test failures, puts the average claim at £2,052 across the ten highest-claim models it ranks and £539 for Honda, the lowest-claim make in its index (Warrantywise index 2026, 1.6 million claims, cars aged 3–15). Those sit an order of magnitude above the figures in this table, and the gap is the point: a warranty claim is a gearbox or an engine, which almost never fails an MOT, while the faults that do fail one are corrosion, lamps and tyres, which no warranty pays for. The two numbers answer different questions and neither replaces the other.

BMW X5 running costs for a fleet

Vehicles failing at age 10 stand out at 14.0%, against 12.0% at age 5, tested in the same year.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Fails per 100 at age 5
12
vehicles needing work
At age 10
14
other cars of this model tested at age 10 in 2024
Repairs per 100
£7,234
plus £5,485 in test fees
Off the road
1d
median; 26.83% cleared same day
Failure rate and typical odometer by age
AgeFailsMedian odometerTestsGap vs age 5
315.47%31,5846,956+3.0 pp
411.9%36,8664,991-0.6 pp
512.46%43,9518,548+0.0 pp
614.54%55,4216,994+2.1 pp
714.03%64,2656,072+1.6 pp
813.24%72,9876,322+0.8 pp
913.89%82,4096,826+1.4 pp
1014.33%92,1605,295+1.9 pp
1120.67%100,0253,328+8.2 pp
1223.31%108,3843,882+10.8 pp
1323.48%113,5343,842+11.0 pp
1424.38%120,2083,524+11.9 pp
1526.36%127,4103,737+13.9 pp
1629.08%133,6093,061+16.6 pp
1732.44%139,1183,175+20.0 pp
1839.49%146,3832,996+27.0 pp
1939.27%146,0784,769+26.8 pp

The number a fleet manager needs is not the failure rate, it is the year the car starts costing more. Between cars aged 17 and cars aged 18, both tested in 2024, the failure rate of this model is 7.05 percentage points higher — the steepest one-year step in this cross-section of different cars, and a natural planning point for replacement.

Repair spend uses the same modal prices as the section above, so it inherits the same limits: one typical repair per component group, not a full remedy. Downtime is the gap between the failed test and the passed re-test, which is the window a vehicle is legally off the road.

BMW X5 rust problems: where they corrode

Age-standardised corrosion susceptibility is well below the reference at 0.62×, against 1.00× for the national age-standardised rate.

above 1.0× = rusts more than averagebelow 1.0× = rusts less

How it rusts
0.62×
0.47% of tests record a corrosion defect vs 0.77% typical — age-standardised
Salt Belt exposure
45th
percentile among the models published here, from its tests across 113 postcode areas

This BMW X5 fails on corrosion much less often than average once age is held constant, and its owners live in areas that are about typical for the models we publish.

Corrosion is the one failure mode that is as much about geography as about the car. We keep the two apart on purpose: a model can look rusty simply because it is popular in Scotland, and a model can look clean simply because it is bought in Surrey. Blending them into a single score would hide which of the two is doing the work.

Exposure is this model's tests weighted by an area corrosion index built from frost days, salt load and distance to the coast — the composite validated at r = 0.42 against corrosion defects we actually record. It is published as a rank, not a raw score, because every mainstream model skews towards low-corrosion areas for the simple reason that most of Britain's cars are in the south. Susceptibility is standardised to the national age profile, so an old fleet does not get labelled a rusty model.

Does a BMW X5 advisory become a failure?

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment are highest at 27.9%; Road wheels are lowest at 2.5% — the gap is 25.4 percentage points.

higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability

chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now

BMW X5 chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now — 2024 UK MOT data
BMW X5, advisory → failure conversion by component group, chained tests 2019–2024. Chart labels and rates: Lamps & electrical 27.9% · Body & chassis 20.6% · Suspension 17.9% · Brakes 14.1% · Tyres 10.1% · Steering 7.5% · Seat belts & restraints 4.2% · Noise, emissions, leaks 3.6%.
Advisory today → failure at the next test, with how long you have
ComponentFails next timeTypical lead timeMiles of warningAdvisories tracked
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment27.9%12.1 months4,9206,674
Body, chassis, structure20.6%12.1 months5,1113,607
Suspension17.9%12.1 months5,79448,217
Brakes14.1%12.1 months5,30562,570
Tyres10.1%12.1 months6,77392,909
Steering7.5%12.1 months5,1702,866
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems4.2%12.1 months5,9942,364
Noise, emissions and leaks3.5%12.1 months5,10624,344
Identification of the vehicle3.4%12.2 months6,9215,648
Road wheels2.5%12.7 months6,090553

This is the question an advisory note actually raises, and it needs six years of test history to answer. We followed the same vehicles from one MOT to the next across 2019–2024 and measured how often a component that was merely advised came back as a genuine failure at the next test.

Read it as a budgeting horizon, not a prophecy: the most likely component above turns into a failure for about 28 in 100 cars, and the median gap is 12.1 months and roughly 4,920 miles. The rest were repaired, sold, scrapped, or simply held. Rows with fewer than 500 tracked advisories are not shown.

What will fail next on a BMW X5?

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment after a failure at age 20+ are highest at 29.2%; Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment after a passed at age <3 are lowest at 0.9% — the gap is 28.3 percentage points.

higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability

Probability of each component failing at the next test, by age and last result
AgeLast testMost likely next failuresCars tracked
<3passedTyres 6.8% · Visibility 4.0% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 0.9%19,360
<3advisoryTyres 9.1% · Visibility 6.2% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 1.4%5,048
<3failureTyres 8.0% · Visibility 5.3% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 1.3%3,718
3-5passedTyres 5.9% · Visibility 3.9% · Brakes 1.1%61,499
3-5advisoryTyres 8.6% · Visibility 6.0% · Brakes 1.5%21,278
3-5failureTyres 8.6% · Visibility 6.0% · Brakes 1.8%12,938
6-8passedTyres 5.5% · Visibility 3.9% · Suspension 2.8%42,305
6-8advisoryTyres 8.4% · Visibility 5.7% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 4.0%20,671
6-8failureTyres 8.1% · Visibility 6.1% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 5.8%12,672
9-11passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 8.1% · Suspension 7.7% · Tyres 5.3%28,747
9-11advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 11.2% · Suspension 10.9% · Tyres 8.1%18,390
9-11failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 14.3% · Suspension 11.7% · Tyres 8.2%14,909
12-14passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 12.0% · Suspension 11.7% · Body, chassis, structure 7.0%22,646
12-14advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 17.2% · Suspension 16.0% · Brakes 10.1%20,154
12-14failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 22.1% · Suspension 19.0% · Brakes 15.0%22,357
15-19passedBody, chassis, structure 15.6% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.8% · Suspension 13.6%20,512
15-19advisoryBody, chassis, structure 20.3% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 19.7% · Suspension 18.9%24,648
15-19failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 26.2% · Body, chassis, structure 22.3% · Suspension 22.1%31,820
20+passedBody, chassis, structure 14.6% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.2% · Suspension 10.5%1,027
20+advisoryBody, chassis, structure 24.8% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 23.5% · Suspension 18.8%1,363
20+failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 29.2% · Body, chassis, structure 23.2% · Brakes 20.6%1,780

The same chains, cut differently: given a car's age and how its last test went, which component most often causes trouble at the following one.

The pattern that repeats across every family: a failure at one test roughly doubles the chance of a failure on the same component at the next one, and an advisory sits about half-way between a clean pass and a failure. Age bands in years; probabilities are per car, not per defect item.

BMW X5 ownership: what six years of MOTs show

The ten-day re-test pass rate is highest at 68.3%; The later re-test pass rate is lowest at 4.9% — the gap is 63.3 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Fixed same day
26.83%
of failures re-tested
Fails /10k miles
0.32
miles actually driven
Clean streaks
41.2%
3+ tests, nothing noted
Odometer anomaly
1.349%
reading went backwards

Failing is usually a same-week event, not a disaster. Of 94,023 failures followed through to their re-test, 26.83% were repaired and passed the same day and 68.26% within ten days; the median gap is 1 day. 240,103 defect items were cleared in the process.

Per mile driven, not per year. Dividing failures by the miles that actually went onto the odometers between consecutive tests gives 0.32 failures per 10,000 miles, on a median of 6,463 miles a year across 103,558 chains. This is the number to compare between models — an annual rate quietly rewards cars that barely leave the drive.

Two populations hide inside one model. 41.2% of these cars strung together three or more tests with nothing recorded at all, while 25.48% carried the same advisory three times or more — the same fault, noted, ignored, noted again. When you buy used you are buying one of those two histories, and the MOT record shows which.

Odometer anomalies: 1.349% of 103,674 chains show a reading lower than the previous test, with a median drop of 33,505 miles. We call this an anomaly and not fraud on purpose — instrument swaps, imports, unit mix-ups and keying errors all land in the same bucket. Obvious typos (drops under 100 miles or over 90% of the reading) are already excluded.

BMW X5 safety recalls and how to check yours

DVSA recall campaigns stand out at 70.

bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone

recall campaigns launched per year

BMW X5 recall campaigns launched per year — 2024 UK MOT data
Campaigns launched per year for the BMW X5. Source: DVSA vehicle safety recalls. Chart values: 2012: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 0 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 0 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 10 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 1.
Most recent safety recall campaigns for the BMW X5
ReferenceLaunchedVehiclesConcern
R/2026/05402/03/20262Replace the Engine Starter Motor
R/2025/34918/12/20252,015Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
R/2025/34918/12/20251,814Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
R/2025/34918/12/20251,331Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
R/2025/40607/10/20254Replace the Engine Starter Motor
All 70 campaigns
ReferenceLaunchedBuild datesVehiclesConcern
R/2026/05402/03/202607/05/2021 – 19/06/20212Replace the Engine Starter Motor
R/2025/34918/12/202531/08/2006 – 24/06/20132,015Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
R/2025/34918/12/202513/04/2000 – 30/09/20031,814Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
R/2025/34918/12/202503/04/2013 – 06/09/20171,331Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
R/2025/40607/10/202502/10/2018 – 12/06/20204Replace the Engine Starter Motor
R/2025/36003/09/202508/08/2025 – 11/08/20256Check Windscreen Bonding reworking if necessary
R/2024/41424/10/202410/05/2024 – 04/09/202413Hydraulic Brake System Unit Replacement
R/2024/40321/10/202405/04/2013 – 07/11/20175,316Check Driver’s Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5
R/2024/38313/09/202431/07/2022 – 14/08/20249,166Integrated Braking System
R/2024/31914/08/202401/11/2018 – 01/11/20181Engine Starter Motor / DME Software Update
R/2024/26901/07/202401/08/2023 – 07/05/2024585Owners Manual G05
R/2024/26220/05/202405/04/2024 – 20/04/202471Seat Belt Warning (Front Seat Belts)
R/2024/19101/05/202428/10/2009 – 11/03/20102Replace VANOS bolts N51 N52 N55
R/2024/11907/03/202423/02/2023 – 01/08/20231,833Integrated Braking System
R/2023/35420/12/202317/03/2023 – 17/03/202326On affected vehicles ingress of transmission fluid may occur to the integrated transmissio
R/2024/15620/10/202320/07/2023 – 26/08/2023197Checking potential vehicle damage
R/2023/22431/08/202307/12/2006 – 26/06/201344,407The driver and front passenger airbags may deploy with too much explosive force causing sh
R/2023/01624/01/202312/06/2013 – 02/09/201722,897A possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combusti
R/2022/25522/08/202218/03/2018 – 25/07/2020322,745Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold
R/2022/20601/08/202205/04/2013 – 30/06/2018319,399THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION COOLER MAY LEAK OVER TIME AND CAUSE THERMAL INCIDENT
R/2022/06414/03/202209/06/2020 – 08/01/2021411THE HV BATTERIES MAY FAIL DUE TO IMPURITIES IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
R/2021/29923/08/202122/11/2000 – 22/11/20001THE OIL FILTER LINE COULD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE BRAKE LINE
R/2021/30719/08/202121/09/2000 – 19/01/2001882THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT COULD DETACH FROM THE DOUBLE JOINT
R/2021/26713/07/202111/07/2000 – 08/02/20011,963THE BRAKE PEDAL SHAFT COULD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PEDAL CONTROLS BEARING MOUNT
R/2021/22721/06/202129/06/2002 – 31/07/20028THE REINFORCEMENT RING (THIMBLE) MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SECURELY CRIMPED ONTO THE BELT TENSIONE
R/2021/21314/06/202118/04/2017 – 27/06/201818,330THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION MODULE COULD LEAK OVER TIME
R/2021/15627/04/202109/02/2021 – 15/02/202135INCORRECT HEADREST RODS MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE BACKREST OF THE SECOND ROW OF SEATS
R/2021/05422/02/202110/06/2019 – 20/11/2020139THE INTEGRATED BRAKE SYSTEM HYDRAULIC UNIT MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED INCORRECTLY
R/2021/06719/02/202124/01/2020 – 22/07/20204SOME 22 CONTINENTAL TYRES WERE PRODUCED OUT OF SPECIFICATION
R/2021/03709/02/202109/03/2015 – 02/06/201863,888THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION COOLER COULD LEAK OVER TIME
R/2021/01525/01/202105/06/2020 – 03/12/2020388THE BATTERY CABLES ON THE 48V STARTER GENERATOR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY SECURED DUR
R/2020/28314/12/202009/06/2020 – 16/09/20202,665REMAINING PARTICLES IN THE CELLS OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY CAN CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT
R/2020/34323/11/202027/08/2019 – 17/07/202097AN ADDITIONAL CRASH PAD IS REQUIRED BEHIND THE AUXILIARY BATTERY
R/2021/07211/11/202029/05/2020 – 17/06/202010THE FRONT AXLE SUPPORT (SUBFRAME) WELDING PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED ACCORDING TO SPEC
R/2020/29822/10/202031/08/2020 – 21/09/2020871REMAINING PARTICLES IN THE CELLS OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY CAN CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT
R/2020/25217/08/202010/07/2020 – 10/07/202011A STARTER MOTOR BOLT MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AND BECOME LOST INSIDE THE TRANSM
R/2020/23421/07/202008/03/2020 – 08/03/20201THE STEERING SHAFT BEARING PLATE MAY NOT BE SCREWED TO THE ENGINE BULKHEAD CORRECTLY
R/2019/36623/07/201924/01/2019 – 24/01/20191WHEEL BOLTS ON LEFT SIDE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED CORRECTLY
R/2019/19201/07/201913/12/2006 – 21/08/201131,601MOVEMENTS OF THE CONNECTOR OF THE BLOWER REGULATOR WIRING HARNESS COULD LEAD TO FRICTIONAL
R/2019/09122/03/201922/10/2018 – 12/11/201811INCORRECT TIGHTENING TORQUE OF LEFT FRONT SEAT FIXING BOLTS
R/2019/08622/03/201922/12/1999 – 29/03/20009POTENTIAL RUPTURE OF DRIVER FRONT AIR BAG INFLATOR
R/2019/08622/03/201903/04/2000 – 23/09/20032,494POTENTIAL RUPTURE OF DRIVER FRONT AIR BAG INFLATOR
R/2019/05701/03/201927/08/2009 – 22/10/20115,866AUXILIARY WATER PUMP'S ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT BOARD COULD LEAD TO A SHORT CIRCUIT
R/2019/01801/02/201913/12/2006 – 13/01/201321,123THE IDLER PULLEY BOLT COULD BECOME LOOSENED OVER TIME
R/2018/34107/12/201805/04/2013 – 16/06/2017225,449EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION MODULE COOLER COULD LEAK
R/2018/25805/11/201813/10/2014 – 01/06/2017153,602EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION COOLER COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK OVER TIME
R/2018/26208/10/201812/07/2018 – 01/08/201819DUE TO A FAULT AT THE VEHICLES ASSEMBLY LINE SOME WHEEL BOLTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED
R/2017/00131/12/201617/08/2015 – 17/08/20151ENGINE MAY CUT OUT
R/2016/30021/12/201619/09/2011 – 08/12/201541POWER STEERING MAY NOT PERFORM CORRECTLY
R/2016/25201/11/201601/02/2002 – 31/10/2003218,559DRIVERS AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY INCORRECTLY
R/2014/17710/12/201413/09/2014 – 22/09/20145SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN OCCUPANT
R/2014/06828/07/201401/09/2009 – 30/11/20112,967ENGINE EMERGENCY MODE MAY BE ACTIVATED DURING DRIVING
R/2014/05409/05/201401/10/2013 – 31/03/2014131CHILD SAFETY LOCK MAY NOT ACTIVATE
R/2013/09510/09/201301/05/2009 – 30/11/200921,502POSSIBILITY OF FIRE
R/2013/02310/04/201301/05/2006 – 31/03/2010759BRAKE POWER ASSISTANCE MAY BE AFFECTED
R/2012/15006/12/201201/06/2006 – 30/11/201222,737DRIVE MAY FAIL
R/2012/07818/07/20125POTENTIAL FIRE RISK
R/2012/04927/04/201221FIRE MAY OCCUR
R/2011/14717/11/201116/11/2007 – 02/02/2011557SHORT CIRCUIT MAY OCCUR
R/2011/12305/10/201120/08/2008 – 12/06/200921,923RISK OF FIRE
R/2010/19708/11/201001/02/2008 – 31/08/20084ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP MAY FAIL
R/2009/07421/07/200922/05/2009 – 01/06/200953BRAKES MAY FAIL
R/2008/17925/11/200801/03/2001 – 28/02/20026,240AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY
R/2007/12214/08/200705/02/2007 – 30/04/20071,887BRAKE FLUID MAY LEAK
R/2007/10616/07/200713/11/2006 – 03/04/20071,606DRIVER'S SEAT BELT MAY DE-LATCH
R/2005/02208/02/200530/11/2004 – 31/01/2005697THE BEARINGS OF THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP MAY FAIL
R/2004/13114/07/200412/05/2004 – 06/07/2004231POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTNENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER
R/2003/03924/02/200315/04/2002 – 04/09/2002445SEAT BELT TENSIONERS
R/2003/02603/02/200301/01/2000 – 12/04/20029,090FRONT BRAKE HOSE COULD RUB ON TYRE
R/2002/10631/07/20021,971BRAKE PEDAL MAY BECOME DETACHED

DVSA lists 70 safety recall campaigns for the BMW X5, covering roughly 1,573,141 vehicles in total. A recall is the manufacturer fixing a fault for free, so an open recall on your car costs nothing to clear.

Counter-intuitive, and measured on our own data: across the 25 families published here, more recalls go with a lower MOT Risk Index (r = −0.52). Heavily recalled models are not worse cars in the test bay — an active manufacturer removes the fault before it becomes an MOT failure.

Check whether a specific car has an outstanding recall — free, by registration — at DVSA's recall service. Source: DVSA vehicle safety recalls (check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk), OGL.

BMW X5 technical service bulletins: what dealers are told

US market, BMW X5 and its variants, model years 2015–2022 only. A count of bulletins, not a UK failure rate.

NHTSA manufacturer communications are 1,007.

bigger number = more recorded dealer communicationsnot affected vehicles or confirmed faults

These are the issues the manufacturer fixes quietly: service communications sent to dealers without a public recall campaign. They show what the service network has been told even when the issue never became news.

United States · NHTSA manufacturer communications

US technical service bulletins by communication year; leading subjects cover the full file
Communication yearBulletinsLeading subjects across all years
201477
  • Electrical system (365)
  • Equipment (302)
  • Engine and cooling (107)
  • Engine (81)
  • Structure (72)
  • Adaptive and mobility equipment (63)
  • Seats (54)
  • Visibility (48)
201578
201683
201756
2018121
2019144
2020130
202185
202285
202370
202438
202523
202617

Caveat worth stating plainly: this is NHTSA data about US-specification cars. British cars sold under the same name often use different gearboxes, engines and equipment, so a bulletin may describe a component that was never fitted here. The file counts dealer communications, not affected vehicles or confirmed failures, and it cannot tell you whether an individual UK car has the issue. A communication can carry more than one subject tag, so topic counts do not have to add up to the total. Source: NHTSA Manufacturer Communications API (US-market vehicles; queried model years 2015-2022). Licence: U.S. Government work / public domain · retrieved 2026-09-25.

BMW X5 owner complaints: what goes wrong

US market, BMW X5 and its variants, model years 2015–2022 only. A count of owner complaints, not a UK failure rate; NHTSA has no UK denominator.

Engine (not MOT-tested) is highest at 265; Brakes are lowest at 44 — the gap is 221.

bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone

Owner complaints (US) against actual MOT failures (UK) for the same component groups
ComponentComplaintsShareMOT fail items per 100MOT rankAgreement
Engine (not MOT-tested)26531.3%not in top 6—complained about, rarely an MOT failure
Lamps & electrical24629.0%15.5#1complained about and fails often
Transmission (not MOT-tested)13415.8%not in top 6—complained about, rarely an MOT failure
Restraints809.4%not in top 6—complained about, rarely an MOT failure
Brakes445.2%11.5#3complained about and fails often
Steering445.2%not in top 6—complained about, rarely an MOT failure

Two different populations answering two different questions: the MOT records what an inspector can measure once a year, the complaint file records what annoyed or frightened an owner on the road. A component high in one column and absent from the other is the interesting case — driver-assistance and electronics dominate complaints while almost never appearing as an MOT failure item.

What the reports actually say
I am having a high voltage system box fault. I am within warranty but the dealership is denying me. My in service date is 6-2016.
NHTSA complaint, filed 04/02/2026
1) Crankshaft Sensor MIL Light 2) Drive train malfunction, 3) Start and Stop malfunction, 3) MIL for Catalytic convertor 4) MIL light for Catalytic Convertor & O2 sensor failure. The Vehicle has (97,000 K), and the BMW dealer would not cover the costs. However there's TSB published for this vehicle, yet its not being honored by the dealer who claims that the Emissions warranty expired after 8 years or 80,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint, filed 07/29/2025 · ENGINE

US owners have filed 848 complaints about the equivalent BMW X5 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including 39 that mention a crash, 21 a fire and 30 an injury. These are owner reports, not verified findings — but they are the only large public record of what drivers themselves notice, and they cover the years between MOT tests.

Caveat worth stating plainly: US-specification cars, self-selected reporters, no denominator — complaint counts scale with how many cars were sold there and how motivated owners are to file. The mechanical gap matters as much as the statistical one: American cars of the same name often carry different gearboxes, engines and equipment — automatics where Britain buys manuals — so a drivetrain complaint filed in Ohio may describe a part that was never fitted here. Read the ranking inside a model, not between models, and treat drivetrain entries with particular caution. Source: NHTSA ODI consumer complaints (US market, public domain) — US-spec vehicles, indicative only.

BMW X5 inspection results in other countries

Netherlands APK is well below the reference at 34.4%, against 50.8% nationally.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Same model, different national inspection regimes
CountryTestThis model failsNational averagePositionSample
United KingdomMOT (class 4)20.81%26.01%-5.2 pp91,002
NorwayPKK31.2%33.7%-2.5 pp9,265
NetherlandsAPK34.4%50.8%-16.4 pp9,010
FinlandKatsastus23.2%26.3%-3.1 pp5,585

The verdict is consistent across every regime where the difference is clear, which is the strongest form this comparison takes: independent inspectorates, different rulebooks, same direction of travel.

The exact faults Netherlands records — APK defect codes, 2024
CodeFaultRecordedType
210Tyre pressure not at the correct value1,238failure
AC4Steering or suspension ball joint worn up to 1.0 mm782advisory
205Tyre with insufficient tread601failure
516Dipped headlight incorrectly aimed547failure
AC1Tyre down to 1.6–2.5 mm of tread421advisory
203Tyre damaged366failure
RA2Excessive leak of other fluids262advisory
186Ball joint with excessive play232failure

Worth dwelling on how mundane the top of that list is: tyre pressure, tread depth, headlight aim. The Dutch APK records 0.679 defects per inspection against a much higher national failure rate than Britain's, and the reason is not that Dutch cars are worse — it is that the two regimes draw the line between "note it" and "fail it" in different places. Codes are the RDW's own; the English wording here is our translation of the Dutch original.

Britain is not the only country that inspects every car every year, and the BMW X5 is on the road in all of them. Each national regime writes its own rules, so the pass rates below are not comparable to each other — what does travel across a border is whether a model sits above or below its own country's average.

Rows with fewer than 500 inspections are not published. Sources: Statens vegvesen — Periodisk kjøretøykontroll (PKK) 2024, CC BY 4.0; RDW open data — Meldingen Keuringsinstantie + Geconstateerde Gebreken + Gekentekende voertuigen (2024), CC0. Not an RDW endorsement.; Traficom — Periodic inspections of cars by model / by model and fault object 2024, CC BY 4.0. Adapted; licences and full notice.

BMW X5 MOT: quick answers

BMW X5 MOT Risk Index is well below the reference at 73.5, against 100 for a car with the same age profile.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

What is the BMW X5 first-time MOT pass rate?
79.19% of first attempts passed in 2024 (91,002 tests). This is the first-time figure: retests after repair are excluded. Basis: first-time, excluding retests.
Why does this number differ from other sites?
Other sites often report a pass rate that includes retests or counts all attempts. Our 20.81% figure is the first-time initial failure rate, using 91,002 primary tests as the denominator (first-time, excluding retests). The age-adjusted MOT initial-failure ratio 73.5 is shown separately because raw rates compare fleet age as well as cars.

Compare the BMW X5 with other cars

Audi Q3 is highest at 75.0; Land Rover Range Rover Sport is lowest at 72.5 — the gap is 2.5 points.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

Same brand

All BMW MOT statisticsBMW 3 Series MOT stats

Similar risk

Audi TT (index 73.4)Land Rover Range Rover Sport (index 72.5)Audi Q3 (index 75.0)

Same size class

how Land Rover Range Rover compareshow Mitsubishi Outlander compareshow DS 3 compares

By build year

BMW X5 2000BMW X5 2001BMW X5 2002BMW X5 2003BMW X5 2004BMW X5 2005BMW X5 2006BMW X5 2007BMW X5 2008BMW X5 2009BMW X5 2010BMW X5 2011BMW X5 2012BMW X5 2013BMW X5 2014BMW X5 2015BMW X5 2016BMW X5 2017BMW X5 2018BMW X5 2019BMW X5 2020

By area

BMW X5 MOT failure rate by postcode area

By failure group

BMW X5 body, chassis and structure failuresBMW X5 brakes failuresBMW X5 vehicle identification failuresBMW X5 lamps, reflectors and electrics failuresBMW X5 noise, emissions and leaks failuresBMW X5 road wheels failuresBMW X5 seat belts and airbags failuresBMW X5 steering failuresBMW X5 suspension failuresBMW X5 tyres failuresBMW X5 visibility failures

Inspections abroad

BMW X5 in NorwayBMW X5 in FinlandBMW X5 in the Netherlands


Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dataset_release_id=dvsa-2024-v2, frozen baseline; headline claim_id=family-stats:bmw-x5:dvsa-2024-v2. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). BMW X5 MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; downloadable dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, doi:10.5281/zenodo.22975051). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/bmw-x5/ · Published 2026-07-30.