Car statistics
BMW 5 Series 540i statistics
How many BMW 5 Series 540is are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the 540i compares with other versions of the BMW 5 Series. Built from DVLA licensing records.
- Licensed in Great Britain 235 +0.4% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 581 Off the road, not taxed
- Still registered 26.1% Other BMW 5 Series versions 14.1%
- Peak year 2002 3,023 licensed
- Share of BMW 5 Series 0.4% of those licensed or SORN
- New registrations in 2025 4 registered for the first time
How many BMW 5 Series 540is are left in Great Britain?
There were 235 BMW 5 Series 540is licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 581 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 92.2% lower than its peak of 3,023 in 2002. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 71.2% of those still registered are off the road.
BMW 5 Series 540is licensed and SORN in Great Britain
This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.
| Year | Licensed | Declared SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 688 | – |
| 1995 | 917 | – |
| 1996 | 1,305 | – |
| 1997 | 1,845 | – |
| 1998 | 2,399 | – |
| 1999 | 2,750 | – |
| 2000 | 2,918 | – |
| 2001 | 3,005 | – |
| 2002 | 3,023 | – |
| 2003 | 2,932 | – |
| 2004 | 2,892 | – |
| 2005 | 2,763 | – |
| 2006 | 2,643 | – |
| 2007 | 2,498 | 145 |
| 2008 | 2,228 | 204 |
| 2009 | 2,011 | 232 |
| 2010 | 1,722 | 279 |
| 2011 | 1,409 | 321 |
| 2012 | 1,193 | 296 |
| 2013 | 950 | 365 |
| 2014 | 819 | 365 |
| 2015 | 716 | 392 |
| 2016 | 625 | 419 |
| 2017 | 532 | 449 |
| 2018 | 439 | 499 |
| 2019 | 386 | 521 |
| 2020 | 348 | 545 |
| 2021 | 328 | 551 |
| 2022 | 286 | 579 |
| 2023 | 278 | 577 |
| 2024 | 245 | 572 |
| 2025 | 244 | 577 |
| 2026 | 235 | 581 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
How many BMW 5 Series 540is have survived?
26.1% of BMW 5 Series 540is are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the BMW 5 Series from the same era, the figure is 14.1%, so BMW 5 Series 540is are 1.9 times as likely to have survived.
Share still registered (licensed or SORN)
Compared with 16 other versions of the BMW 5 Series from the same era.
| Version | Share still registered |
|---|---|
| BMW 5 Series 540i | 26.1% |
| Other BMW 5 Series versions of the same age | 14.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
BMW 5 Series 540i registrations over time
First registrations of BMW 5 Series 540is in Great Britain were highest in 2001, when this data begins, at 104. In 2025, 4 were registered.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 104 |
| ’02 | 53 |
| ’03 | 30 |
| ’04 | 17 |
| ’05 | 7 |
| ’06 | 6 |
| ’07 | 2 |
| ’08 | 4 |
| ’09 | 4 |
| ’10 | 1 |
| ’11 | 1 |
| ’12 | 0 |
| ’13 | 3 |
| ’14 | 1 |
| ’15 | 1 |
| ’16 | 3 |
| ’17 | 2 |
| ’18 | 2 |
| ’19 | 0 |
| ’20 | 2 |
| ’21 | 2 |
| ’22 | 2 |
| ’23 | 1 |
| ’24 | 4 |
| ’25 | 4 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
BMW 5 Series 540i engine sizes and fuel types
Of the 246 BMW 5 Series 540is licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 83.7% have an engine of 4,301cc to 4,400cc, and 11.8% have an engine of 3,901cc to 4,000cc.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
| Engine size | Share of those licensed |
|---|---|
| 4,301cc to 4,400cc 206 licensed | 83.7% |
| 3,901cc to 4,000cc 29 licensed | 11.8% |
| 2,901cc to 3,000cc 6 licensed | 2.4% |
| Other sizes 5 licensed | 2.0% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
| Engine size | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,301–4,400cc | Petrol | 205 | 83.3% |
| 3,901–4,000cc | Petrol | 29 | 11.8% |
| 2,901–3,000cc | Petrol | 6 | 2.4% |
| 4,001–4,100cc | Petrol | 3 | 1.2% |
Fuel type, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year.
| Year | Petrol | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 98.6% | 1.3% |
| 2015 | 98.2% | 1.6% |
| 2016 | 98.3% | 1.6% |
| 2017 | 98.7% | 1.1% |
| 2018 | 99.1% | 0.7% |
| 2019 | 99.5% | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 98.9% | 0.8% |
| 2021 | 99.4% | 0.6% |
| 2022 | 99.0% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| 2024 | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| 2025 | 99.6% | 0.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page. This covers cars DVLA records under this version’s name only; the BMW 5 Series page covers every version. How we use engine sizes.
Other versions of the BMW 5 Series
Versions of the BMW 5 Series with their own page. The BMW 5 Series page covers all 187,690 licensed, whatever the version.
| Version | Licensed | SORN | Still registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 5 Series 540i | 235 | 581 | 26.1% |
| BMW 5 Series 535i Sport | 86 | 329 | 21.5% |
| BMW 5 Series 535i SE | 157 | 236 | 8.0% |
| BMW 5 Series 528i | 140 | 251 | 6.6% |
| BMW 5 Series 530d M Touring | 196 | 80 | 54.2% |
| BMW 5 Series 525 | 55 | 205 | 9.0% |
| BMW 5 Series 540i Sport | 116 | 120 | 53.9% |
| BMW 5 Series 540i Touring | 45 | 190 | 29.7% |
| BMW 5 Series 535d Sport Touring | 119 | 111 | 54.6% |
| BMW 5 Series 528i Sport | 54 | 160 | 24.5% |
| BMW 5 Series 530i | 76 | 137 | 11.3% |
| BMW 5 Series 535d SE Touring | 139 | 61 | 52.2% |
| BMW 5 Series 525 E Lux | 26 | 89 | 8.2% |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 816 BMW 5 Series 540i records (licensed and SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
| Registered for the first time | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | 2001 to 2025 | – | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately, from 2007.
- This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “540I AUTO”, “540 I AUTO”, “540I”, “540 I”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
- Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.
- First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
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