Pass rate
76.9%
Around average — 4.5 pts ahead of the 72.4% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 771 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £14–£40
2005 BMW 523 MOT pass rate
- 2005
- typical 116,296 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Brakes
22.8% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
Which year to buy
- Best 2013 96.0% pass
- Avoid 2000 74.8% pass
Across the 10 years on record, a spread of 21.2 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 71.3%
- Typical mileage
- 116k mi
The 2005 BMW 523 MOT pass rate is 76.9% of its MOT tests — 4.5 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 22.8% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 2.0× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 11.3% of everything recorded on the 2005 BMW 523, against 5.5% nationally — 5.8 points above. Brakes are still the single largest share at 22.8%, but at 20.9% nationally that one is ordinary. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- Beats its own age and mileage. Once you allow for how old and how far these cars have been driven, the expected pass rate is 72.4% and this one manages 76.9% — 4.5 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Failures here tend to be cheap ones. 56% of the repairs this model fails on cost under £30 in parts. The pass rate matters less than what a bad afternoon at the test centre actually costs you.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a BMW 523? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2005 BMW 523 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.4%, so this figure is 4.5 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 71.3%. The median 2005 BMW 523 in this dataset had covered 116,296 mi.
98% of the tests on this vehicle ran on Petrol, which passed 76.8% of the time. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 75.7% of the time, April–September 78.5%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault", noted on 4.54% of tests.
- 771 recorded tests behind this page.
- 76.9% overall pass rate, 71.3% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the BMW 523, the average is 79.6% — best year 2013 (96.0%), worst 2000 (74.8%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 771
- Typical mileage (median)
- 116,296 mi
- Make and model
- BMW 523
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Indicator Bulb
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 523 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 67% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (98% of tests).
Where the BMW 523 is most common
Across all 523 model years on record (2000–2013): 2,533 BMW 523 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 5,529 tests. London (E) has the most, with 107 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.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London (E) | 107 | 89.6% |
| 2 | London (SE) | 73 | 82.2% |
| 3 | London (NW) | 73 | 86.0% |
| 4 | Wembley (HA) | 72 | 85.1% |
| 5 | London (N) | 67 | 87.1% |
| 6 | Birmingham (B) | 65 | 89.1% |
| 7 | High Wycombe (HP) | 65 | 82.6% |
| 8 | Hayes (UB) | 63 | 87.3% |
| 9 | Romford (RM) | 61 | 80.5% |
| 10 | Croydon (CR) | 57 | 80.5% |
| 11 | Hounslow (TW) | 56 | 85.6% |
| 12 | Reading (RG) | 52 | 78.3% |
| 13 | London (W) | 44 | 84.8% |
| 14 | Guildford (GU) | 41 | 74.5% |
| 15 | Slough (SL) | 39 | 90.1% |
| 16 | Enfield (EN) | 39 | 89.2% |
| 17 | London (SW) | 37 | 75.5% |
| 18 | Peterborough (PE) | 36 | 76.4% |
| 19 | Ilford (IG) | 36 | 86.4% |
| 20 | Crawley (RH) | 34 | 77.0% |
The twenty areas with the most BMW 523 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 →
Regional pass rates for the 523
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 226 | 79.6% |
| London | 146 | 80.1% |
| North West | 66 | 75.8% |
| Scotland | 57 | 66.7% |
| West Midlands | 53 | 79.2% |
| East of England | 51 | 78.4% |
| South West | 51 | 66.7% |
| East Midlands | 47 | 72.3% |
| Wales | 30 | 76.7% |
| Yorkshire | 30 | 73.3% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2005 523
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2005 523
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 4.5% of tests
“srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault”
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.
-
Check the suspension joints 3.2% of tests
“ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the coil springs 2.5% of tests
“coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2005 523 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £14–£40 — and 56% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £14–£40
- Cheapest common item: srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements
- £45–£110
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 90%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 56%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 771 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 523, side by side
10 model years on record, from 2000 to 2013. Across them the pass rate runs from 74.8% to 96.0% — a spread of 21.2 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 74.8% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2005 76.9%srs malfunction indicator lamp…
- 2006 79.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2007 78.1% malfunction indicator lamp…
- 2008 81.0% linkage ball joint dust cover…
- 2009 80.9% malfunction indicator lamp…
- 2010 82.2% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2011 83.3% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2012 95.4% brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick
- 2013 96.0% catch deteriorated so the door…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2005 BMW 523 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2005 cars with a similar record
- Land Rover Defender 76.9%
- Audi A6 76.9%
- Nissan Elgrand 76.9%
- Toyota Hiace 77.1%
- Toyota Corolla 76.6%
- Mercedes-Benz Slk 76.4%
Closest pass rates among 2005 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2005 BMW 523 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 1,694 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 395 | 22.80% | 20.89% | +1.91 |
| Suspension | 336 | 19.40% | 20.98% | −1.58 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 285 | 16.40% | 12.21% | +4.19 |
| Tyres | 223 | 12.90% | 19.76% | −6.86 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 196 | 11.30% | 5.52% | +5.78 |
| Non-component advisories | 78 | 4.50% | 4.18% | +0.32 |
| Visibility | 69 | 4.00% | 4.97% | −0.97 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 50 | 2.90% | 0.82% | +2.08 |
| Steering | 32 | 1.80% | 2.57% | −0.77 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 30 | 1.70% | 1.76% | −0.06 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Major | 4.5% | £3–12 |
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.2% | £5–25 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 3.2% | £18–45 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.6% | £5–20 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 2.5% | £25–65 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | Major | 2.3% | £18–45 |
| Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.3% | £5–25 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.2% | £30–80 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 2.2% | £3–12 |
| Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 2.2% | £45–110 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 18.8% | £200–700 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 17.3% | £45–95 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 13.9% | £80–180 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 13.2% | £40–150 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 9.3% | £45–110 |
| Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Advisory | 7.1% | £5–25 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1 | 100.0% | 20,514 mi |
| 30-60k | 41 | 82.9% | 53,640 mi |
| 60-90k | 112 | 75.9% | 77,194 mi |
| 90-120k | 272 | 75.4% | 107,331 mi |
| 120k+ | 345 | 77.7% | 151,639 mi |
Source: 771 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2005 523 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2005 BMW 523?
76.9% of the 771 2005 BMW 523 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.4% for cars first used in 2005. First-attempt pass rate: 71.3%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2005 BMW 523?
The three most recorded items are srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault (4.54%), headlamp lens slightly defective (4.15%), ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (3.24%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2005 BMW 523 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 77.7% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2005 BMW 523 in this dataset had covered 116,296 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2005 BMW 523?
Petrol: 76.8% pass rate across 759 tests. Diesel: 83.3% pass rate across 12 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2005 BMW 523 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 75.7% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 78.5%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.