Pass rate, every year
504 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+2.9 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
504 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+2.9 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2022 84.2%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 83.8%
0.4 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2021 page →
The BMW 545E MOT pass rate is 83.9%, +2.9 percentage points above the UK average. That is 504 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2021 and 2022. This page lists the most common BMW 545E MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how BMW 545E MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The BMW 545E passed on its first attempt in 81.3%, and its overall record sits +2.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the BMW 545E in the 2023–2025 data: 504 tests across 2 model years (2021–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 504 |
| Overall pass rate | 83.9% |
| Passed on first attempt | 81.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 36,793 mi |
| Model years covered | 2021–2022 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +2.9 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the BMW 545E, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 50% |
| Road Wheels | 21% |
| Visibility | 19% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3% |
| Suspension | 2% |
Shares are over the BMW 545E's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 50% of the recorded BMW 545E failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (4.6%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (3.2%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.8%) among the BMW 545E's tyres faults.
Around 21% of the recorded BMW 545E failures fall in the Road Wheels section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Fractured" (5.0%) among the BMW 545E's road wheels faults.
Around 19% of the recorded BMW 545E failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (4.4%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.2%) among the BMW 545E's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the BMW 545E, each with how many of the model's 504 tests it was noted on.
The strongest BMW 545E model year on record is 2022 (84.2% across 177 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (83.8%). The gap between them is 0.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this BMW 545E's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a BMW 545E.
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 — “headlamp aim too high”
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 545E. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
83.9% of the 504 recorded BMW 545E MOT tests ended in a pass, +2.9 percentage points above the national average. 81.3% of those passed on the first attempt.
2022 is the strongest BMW 545E year on record at 84.2%, while 2021 is the weakest at 83.8%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded BMW 545E failures are "Fractured" and "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" — together around 10% of tests, mostly in the Road Wheels section.