Is the BMW X5 reliable?

On MOT evidence the BMW X5 is well above average. It passes 81.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 41 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW X5?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 21.5% of failed BMW X5 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 X5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.8% of all BMW X5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a BMW X5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 90,509 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.

Which BMW X5 years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, BMW X5 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 86.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 67.7%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a BMW X5 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.0% of BMW X5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 67.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most BMW X5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the BMW X5 cars tested, 75% are diesel, 11% are hybrid, 8% are diesel hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

BMW X5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 92,020 recorded MOT tests of the BMW X5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The BMW X5 passes 81.8% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average, ranking it 41 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 92,020 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre seriously damaged, which appears in 21.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 90,509 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

81.8%national average72.3%unadjusted80.2%range covered99%rank41 of 262

The X5 is 9.5 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 80.2%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW X5 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre seriously damaged21.5%
3,330 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged21.2%
3,295 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.6%
1,958 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.1%
1,717 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.0%
1,397 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.0%
1,394 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
7.A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning5.7%
881 occurrencesDirection indicator not working explained
8.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened5.5%
850 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
9.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning5.3%
827 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc4.8%
741 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW X5 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 requirements26.8%
24,695 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.5%
7,784 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.8%
6,233 tests
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.4%
5,857 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.2%
5,665 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.7%
4,282 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded4.3%
3,976 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged4.3%
3,950 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the BMW X5

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

BMW X5 common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a X5, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

X5 common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

X5 pass rate by age and registration year

How often the BMW X5 passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202286%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201986%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201685%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201377%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier68%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer X5 outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The X5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 90,509
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel74.7%
Hybrid10.8%
Diesel hybrid7.6%
Petrol6.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (18)

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

X5 G05 XDRIVE30D M SPORT
X5 M SPORT
X5 M SPORT XDRIVE AUTO
X5 M50D
X5 M50I AUTO
X5 M50I BLACK VERMILION ED A
X5 M60I XDRIVE MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE 30D M SPORT
X5 XDRIVE 45E
X5 XDRIVE30D M SPORT MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE30D XLINE MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE40D M SPORT MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE40D XLINE MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE40I M SPORT MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE40I XLINE MHEV AUTO
X5 XDRIVE45E M SPORT AUTO
X5 XDRIVE45E XLINE AUTO
X5 XDRIVE50E M SPORT AUTO

Check a specific BMW X5

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

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Mercedes-Benz GLA — 82.3% adjusted, ranked 35
Renault Megane — 63.3% adjusted, ranked 238
Mazda MX-5 — 77.2% adjusted, ranked 85
Jaguar XF — 77.9% adjusted, ranked 74

Common questions

Is the BMW X5 reliable?: On MOT evidence the BMW X5 is well above average. It passes 81.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 41 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW X5?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 21.5% of failed BMW X5 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 X5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.8% of all BMW X5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a BMW X5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 90,509 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.
Which BMW X5 years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, BMW X5 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 86.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 67.7%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a BMW X5 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 86.0% of BMW X5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 67.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most BMW X5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the BMW X5 cars tested, 75% are diesel, 11% are hybrid, 8% are diesel hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.