MOT cost .
BMW X5
MOT 2023
Wikimedia

BMW

X5

102,382 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where X5s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 4.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

80.2%

Pass-after-fix

2.9%

Fail

16.2%

Avg miles

94,965

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

X5: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 102,382 MOT tests, the X5 returns 80.2% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. Windscreen damage and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 94,965, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    3,576 occurrences · 3.5% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    3,190 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  3. 03

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    3,187 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre seriously damaged

    2,520 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  5. 05

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    2,402 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  6. 06

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    2,384 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  7. 07

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    2,135 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  8. 08

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    1,879 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  9. 09

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    1,714 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  10. 10

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    1,651 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£70–£175

If every one of this X5's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a X5?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a X5 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.