How reliable is the BMW M5 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the BMW M5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 87.5% across 3,789 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW M5?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 14.0% of failed BMW M5 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a BMW M5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 13.4% of all BMW M5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a BMW M5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 83,490 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a BMW M5 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 89.1% of BMW M5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 86.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

BMW M5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 3,789 recorded MOT tests of the BMW M5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 3,789 MOT tests, 87.5% of BMW M5 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the BMW M5 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 14.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 83,490 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

87.5%unadjusted, not comparable3,789 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the M5. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 3,789 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW M5 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.0%
56 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged12.0%
48 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.7%
43 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged10.0%
40 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.7%
23 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction5.5%
22 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
7.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen5.2%
21 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer5.0%
20 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.0%
20 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded5.0%
20 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW M5 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements13.4%
509 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured9.4%
357 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.4%
279 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged5.8%
221 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm3.5%
131 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn3.1%
117 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.3%
88 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users2.2%
82 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

6–8 yrs89%

9–11 yrs89%

12–14 yrs87%

15+ yrs87%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The M5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 83,490
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

M5 COMPETITION
M5 COMPETITION 35 JAHRE ED A

Check a specific BMW M5

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other BMW models

BMW 3 Series — 80.0% adjusted
BMW 1 Series — 77.6% adjusted
BMW 5 Series — 82.0% adjusted
BMW 2 Series — 82.9% adjusted
BMW X1 — 79.5% adjusted
BMW 4 Series — 83.2% adjusted
All BMW models

Common questions

How reliable is the BMW M5 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the BMW M5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 87.5% across 3,789 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW M5?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 14.0% of failed BMW M5 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a BMW M5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 13.4% of all BMW M5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a BMW M5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 83,490 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a BMW M5 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 89.1% of BMW M5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 86.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.