BMW M5 common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used BMW M5, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 10,994 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
The 2020 BMW M5
Too few BMW M5 cars first registered in 2020 had an MOT during 2025 for reliable MOT figures. There are no known faults on record for this year in the UK buying guides we use, so the rest of this page covers the BMW M5 as a whole.
What to check on a 2020 car
- MOT history
Check the reg below: its MOT history shows what has been failed or advised, and whether the mileage adds up.
- Service history
Look for regular servicing and receipts for big jobs like a cambelt or clutch.
- Finance and write-offs
MOT records don’t show outstanding finance or insurance write-offs. A history check does.
- Test drive
Listen for knocks over bumps, check every warning light goes out, and make sure the gears and brakes feel right.
Other years
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
2026202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520032002200120001999199519941993199219911990198819871986198519811980
What usually goes wrong with a BMW M5?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the BMW M5 in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.
Common BMW M5 MOT failures to check
Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.
Corroded fuel pipes
up to 10× usualStands out on cars registered in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Rough price £100–£400 our estimateAt the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.
BMW M5 MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2007 BMW M5 did best (90% passed first time, 33 points above all 2007 cars) and the 2016 did worst (90%, 13 points above all 2016 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
| Year | Pass first time | All cars that year | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 88% | 85% +3 | 154 (small sample) |
| 2016 | 90% | 77% +13 | 1,154 |
| 2015 | 89% | 74% +15 | 1,095 |
| 2014 | 88% | 70% +18 | 1,319 |
| 2013 | 86% | 67% +19 | 1,456 |
| 2012 | 88% | 64% +24 | 871 |
| 2011 | 87% | 62% +25 | 220 (small sample) |
| 2008 | 91% | 57% +34 | 269 (small sample) |
| 2007 | 90% | 57% +33 | 695 |
| 2006 | 85% | 56% +29 | 747 |
| 2005 | 87% | 57% +30 | 696 |
| 2003 | 88% | 57% +31 | 106 (small sample) |
| 2002 | 84% | 58% +26 | 501 |
| 2001 | 84% | 60% +24 | 751 |
| 2000 | 82% | 61% +21 | 675 |
| 1999 | 77% | 63% +14 | 285 (small sample) |
Questions to ask the seller before buying a BMW M5
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- Any recent work on the corroded fuel pipes? (Flagged at MOT 10× as often on the BMW M5 as on other cars the same age.)
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at a BMW M5?
Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.
Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score