Car statistics by year

2016 BMW 5 Series

BMW 5 Series cars first registered in 2016: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2016, so like is set against like.

A year of the BMW 5 Series. “2016” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
15,342 MOT tests of 2016 BMW 5 Series cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 84.8% All 2016 cars 75.6%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 88,400 miles; all 2016 cars 65,300
  • Left at the end of 2025 15,527 83.9% of the 18,497 at the end of 2016
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 6.2% All 2016 cars 6.7%
  • Tests with an advisory 39.1% All 2016 cars 48.6%
  • MOT tests in 2025 15,342 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2016 BMW 5 Series do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 9 years old, 84.8% of 2016 BMW 5 Series MOT tests were passed first time, against 75.6% for all cars first registered in 2016. 2016 BMW 5 Series did better than average for their age, by 9.2 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 85.3% of the time (all 2016 cars 77.5%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: BMW 5 Series vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each BMW 5 Series bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, BMW 5 Series compared with all cars
First registered BMW 5 SeriesAll cars
’10 73.5%59.3%
’11 74.6%61.5%
’12 73.3%63.6%
’13 76.0%66.0%
’14 81.0%69.1%
’15 83.5%72.6%
’16 84.8%75.6%
’17 84.5%79.1%
’18 86.5%81.8%
’19 87.5%84.4%
’20 87.8%86.9%
’21 87.8%88.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2016 BMW 5 Series

Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm was the most common single reason a 2016 BMW 5 Series failed, on 14.2% of about 2,300 failed tests. By area of the car, tyres failed most often (39.7% of failed tests; all 2016 cars 27.6%). 6.2% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 6.7% for all cars first registered in 2016. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2016 BMW 5 Series tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 14.2%
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres 11.6%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 10.8%
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension 9.5%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 8.9%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes 7.6%
Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension 6.4%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 5.2%
Road wheels: fixing missing Road wheels 3.4%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 3.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: BMW 5 Series vs all 2016 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2016 BMW 5 Series MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2016 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Tyres 39.7%
Suspension 20.6%
Visibility 18.3%
Brakes 13.5%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.4%
Road wheels 6.3%
Noise, emissions and leaks 5.5%
Identification of the vehicle 1.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2016 BMW 5 Series

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 39.1% of 2016 BMW 5 Series tests had at least one (all 2016 cars 48.6%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2016 BMW 5 Series tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 19.2%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 7.4%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 6.1%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 2.7%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 2.6%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes 2.4%
Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories 2.0%
Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension 1.7%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 1.5%
Nail in tyre Non-component advisories 1.5%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2016 BMW 5 Series?

Half of the 2016 BMW 5 Series tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 88,400 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 67,600 and a quarter more than 113,800. For all cars first registered in 2016, the middle figure was 65,300 miles, so 2016 BMW 5 Series have been driven 35.4% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2016 BMW 5 Series and all 2016 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2016 BMW 5 Series 51,600 67,600 88,400 113,800 143,200 14,581
All 2016 cars 32,200 47,000 65,300 86,000 108,800 2,323,151
miles

Half of the 2016 BMW 5 Series tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 88,400 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2016 BMW 5 Series are left?

At the end of 2016, 18,497 2016 BMW 5 Series were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 15,527 were: 15,124 licensed and 403 declared off the road (SORN). That is 83.9% still on the record, against 94.1% for all cars first registered in 2016.

Share still on the record since 2016

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2016. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2016 BMW 5 Series on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2016, compared with all 2016 cars
Year end 2016 BMW 5 SeriesAll 2016 cars
2016 100.0%100.0%
2017 99.7%100.0%
2018 95.1%99.0%
2019 88.7%96.5%
2020 86.3%96.5%
2021 86.5%96.6%
2022 86.0%96.4%
2023 85.2%95.6%
2024 84.6%95.0%
2025 83.9%94.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2016

12 of the BMW 5 Series’s 66 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2016. 3 have no build dates, so could apply to any year.

The 2016 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2016 may have been built in 2015, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

BMW 5 Series recalls whose build dates include 2016
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
18 Dec 2025 Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs) 1 Sept 2000 to 16 Sept 2003 and 28 Jul 2009 to 16 Feb 2017 9,471
27 Oct 2025 Replace the Engine Starter Motor 18 Aug 2016 to 1 Sept 2020 43,163
21 Oct 2024 Check Driver’s Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5 27 Jul 2009 to 23 Feb 2017 85,920
24 Jan 2023 A possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture. 23 Jan 2013 to 23 Feb 2017 39,648
22 Aug 2022 Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold 22 Jan 2014 to 14 Sept 2020 322,745 (all models)
1 Aug 2022 The exhaust gas recirculation cooler may leak over time and cause thermal incident 15 Mar 2011 to 15 May 2018 319,399 (all models)
28 Mar 2022 The OBD software could misinterpret certain input parameters for the engine mangement system 14 Oct 2016 to 26 Jun 2018 6,401 (all models)
9 Feb 2021 The exhaust gas recirculation cooler could leak over time 2 Jul 2014 to 19 Jun 2018 63,888 (all models)
18 May 2020 If the head air bag is deployed the ignitor may separate from the inflator 24 Aug 2016 and 8 Nov 2016 to 26 Apr 2017 161 (all models)
7 Dec 2018 Exhaust gas recirculation module cooler could leak 8 Mar 2011 to 22 Feb 2017 225,449 (all models)
5 Nov 2018 Exhaust gas recirculation cooler could potentially leak over time 12 Dec 2013 to 13 Dec 2017 153,602 (all models)
10 Jan 2017 Airbags may not deploy 8 Aug 2016 to 14 Nov 2016 668 (all models)

Every BMW 5 Series recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the BMW 5 Series

25 years of the BMW 5 Series, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2008 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (72.2% passed first time) and the 2022 cars worst (86.6%).

BMW 5 Series by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
1998 2,027 65.1% 67.1%
1999 2,109 64.8% 65.4%
2000 2,486 67.2% 63.1%
2001 3,097 66.6% 61.5%
2002 3,812 67.3% 59.7%
2003 3,736 65.9% 58.9%
2004 4,185 68.1% 57.9%
2005 5,589 68.5% 57.7%
2006 7,000 68.5% 56.9%
2007 8,392 69.4% 57.3%
2008 7,228 72.2% 57.0%
2009 7,229 71.1% 58.2%
2010 8,528 73.5% 59.3%
2011 11,813 74.6% 61.5%
2012 13,807 73.3% 63.6%
2013 14,295 76.0% 66.0%
2014 20,113 16,045 81.0% 69.1%
2015 20,111 16,851 83.5% 72.6%
2016 18,497 15,527 84.8% 75.6%
2017 18,278 14,850 84.5% 79.1%
2018 21,757 17,720 86.5% 81.8%
2019 16,234 14,004 87.5% 84.4%
2020 8,948 7,921 87.8% 86.9%
2021 6,009 5,125 87.8% 88.4%
2022 6,986 5,926 86.6% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 15,342 MOT tests of 2016 BMW 5 Series cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 15,527 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of BMW 5 Series cars first registered in 2016; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2016.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.