2025 MOT results
BMW X5 common problems
The most common reason a BMW X5 fails its MOT is a tyre worn through to the cords, on 14.1% of its 18,231 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: an indicator repeater out at 4.7% of failures against 1.5% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 14.1% of failures against 5.2% expected; a cut tyre at 13.5% of failures against 6.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 92,581 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 19.7% 18,231 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 42.9% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a BMW X5 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed BMW X5 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 14.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 13.5% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 8.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.9% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 6.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.8% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 5.6% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 5.1% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
| Side repeaters: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Tyre worn through to the cords
14.1% of failures 5.2% expected 2.7 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Cut tyre
13.5% of failures 6.1% expected 2.2 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.6% of failures 4.7% expected 1.8 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
6.9% of failures 8.2% expected somewhat less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Split joint boot
6.9% of failures 4.5% expected 1.5 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Washers that do not work
5.8% of failures 5.0% expected somewhat more often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a BMW X5, on 36.5% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 24.6%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 36.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 29.1% |
| Suspension | 26.2% |
| Brakes | 19.2% |
| Visibility | 14.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
42.9% of BMW X5 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On BMW X5s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 19.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 5.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.5% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.5% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 2.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 2.7% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.4% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.4% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.2% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a BMW X5 gets older
A 2022 BMW X5 failed 15.1% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2004 one failed 36.7%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 BMW X5 15.1% failed, from 7,701 tests
- Cut tyre 43.4%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 23.5%
- Indicator repeater out 7.7%
- Bulge in a tyre 7.0%
- Headlamp aim set too high 5.8%
- Non-standard number plate 4.0%
2004 BMW X5 36.7% failed, from 2,207 tests
- Split joint boot 21.9%
- Worn steering or suspension joint 17.3%
- Weak handbrake 17.0%
- Door condition cannot be opened from outside the vehicle 12.5%
- Brake light out 11.6%
- Sidelight out 10.5%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
BMW X5 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a BMW X5?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” is the most common: it appears on 14.1% of failed BMW X5 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 36.5% of failed tests.
How often does a BMW X5 fail its MOT?
19.7% of BMW X5 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 92,581 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 65 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a BMW X5 than on other cars?
Yes. “Side repeaters: not working” appears on 4.7% of its failures against 1.5% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 14.1% of its failures against 5.2% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a BMW X5 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 92,581 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.