MOT performance

BMW X5 petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 14,941 MOT tests on petrol BMW X5s in 2023–2024 (on average 13.2 years old at test, median 91,770 miles), 72.5% passed first time, against 78.5% of 151,292 diesel BMW X5 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol BMW X5s failed 21% less often than comparable cars — 0.79× against 0.71× for the BMW X5 as a whole.

14,941 MOT tests on 8,199 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

BMW X5 petrol MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	72.5%	±0.7 pts (95%), n = 14,941
All BMW X5s	78.5%	n = 180,951
Failures vs similar cars	0.79×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; BMW X5 overall 0.71×
Tests with a dangerous defect	7.8%	n = 14,941
Average age at test	13.2 years	n = 14,941
Registration years covered	2000–2022	DVSA first-use date

Petrol against the other BMW X5 fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The petrol cars were tested 3 years older on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

BMW X5 MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Diesel	151,292	10.2 yrs	78.5%	-32%	7.3%
Petrol	14,941	13.2 yrs	72.5%	-21%	7.8%
Hybrid	14,717	3.4 yrs	84.9%	+16%	6.3%

Where petrol BMW X5s differ

Steering: petrol BMW X5s failed 72% more often than the BMW X5 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.44× vs 0.26×).
Body, chassis and structure: petrol BMW X5s failed 66% more often than the BMW X5 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.05× vs 0.64×).
Brakes: petrol BMW X5s failed 37% more often than the BMW X5 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.83× vs 0.61×).
Noise, emissions and leaks: petrol BMW X5s failed 35% more often than the BMW X5 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.58× vs 0.43×).

BMW X5 petrol MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Petrol (vs similar)	All BMW X5s (vs similar)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	11.6% (-28%)	6.9% (-44%)
Brakes	8.3% (-17%)	4.9% (-39%)
Suspension	7.7% (-36%)	5.9% (-42%)
Tyres	7.0% (+4%)	7.4% (+5%)
Body, chassis and structure	6.4% (+5%)	2.8% (-36%)
Driver's view of the road	4.6% (-27%)	3.2% (-33%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	3.8% (-42%)	1.4% (-57%)
Seat belts and airbags	2.1% (+3%)	1.1% (-23%)
Steering	1.2% (-56%)	0.6% (-74%)
Road wheels	0.8% (+94%)	0.8% (+81%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.8% (+44%)	0.6% (+49%)

Most common petrol BMW X5 failure items

Most common petrol BMW X5 MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Body, chassis and structure	3.63%
Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn	Suspension	3.02%
Stop lamp: not working	Lights, reflectors and electrical	2.98%
Position lamp: not working	Lights, reflectors and electrical	2.44%
Condition: has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	2.40%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

BMW X5 MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	petrol pass rate (tests)	diesel pass rate (tests)	hybrid pass rate (tests)
3-4	88.2% (2,760)	87.4% (18,966)	87.1% (4,823)
5-6	88.3% (1,320)	86.6% (22,766)	83.9% (2,022)
7-8	86.7% (549)	86.6% (23,628)	86.5% (1,436)
9-10	—	82.7% (17,904)	—
11-12	84.5% (233)	76.7% (15,598)	—
13-15	73.8% (781)	72.6% (21,486)	—
16+	61.4% (8,231)	62.2% (29,186)	—

BMW X5 by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

2002 BMW X5 · 61.6%
2003 BMW X5 · 60.1%
2004 BMW X5 · 60.7%
2005 BMW X5 · 60.5%
2006 BMW X5 · 60.7%
2007 BMW X5 · 67.9%
2008 BMW X5 · 71.2%
2009 BMW X5 · 72.6%
2010 BMW X5 · 75.5%
2011 BMW X5 · 76.4%
2012 BMW X5 · 76.9%
2013 BMW X5 · 79.0%
2014 BMW X5 · 85.6%
2015 BMW X5 · 86.3%
2016 BMW X5 · 87.3%
2017 BMW X5 · 86.5%
2018 BMW X5 · 85.9%
2019 BMW X5 · 87.2%
2020 BMW X5 · 87.2%
2021 BMW X5 · 84.6%

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific petrol BMW X5

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.