BMW 520D MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

BMW 520D MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The BMW 520D passed on its first attempt in 88.9%, and its overall record sits +8.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 520D in the 2023–2025 data: 22,113 tests across 5 model years (2019–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common BMW 520D MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 520D, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the BMW 520D's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded BMW 520D DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 520D, each with how many of the model's 22,113 tests it was noted on.

• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 616 BMW 520D tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 413 BMW 520D tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 384 BMW 520D tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 278 BMW 520D tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 224 BMW 520D tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 162 BMW 520D tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst BMW 520D Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest BMW 520D model year on record is 2023 (97.1% across 102 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (89.1%). The gap between them is 8.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

BMW 520D reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for BMW 520D Owners

These checks follow this BMW 520D's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 520D.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”

  Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the BMW 520D. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the BMW 520D is most common

Across every 520D model year on record (2019–2023): 13,359 BMW 520D cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 22,113 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 524 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most BMW 520D cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: BMW 520D MOT & Reliability