MOT statistics · 2023 tests

BMW 535 MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 82.9% of 8,729 MOT tests on the BMW 535 ended in a pass, 6.4 points above the 76.5% average for all cars.

Pass rate

82.9%

All cars 76.5%

Tests

8,729

Initial MOTs in 2023

Mileage at 10

93k

Median; middle half 75k to 123k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the BMW 535 MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

Age	Pass rate	Mileage
6698 tests	88.5%	61,000 · 47k to 79k
71,234 tests	87.8%	69,000 · 53k to 87k
81,128 tests	87.9%	79,000 · 61k to 101k
9587 tests	84.8%	91,000 · 69k to 113k
10248 tests	83.5%	93,000 · 75k to 123k
11415 tests	87.7%	99,000 · 77k to 127k
12524 tests	81.3%	109,000 · 83k to 135k
13235 tests	79.1%	121,000 · 95k to 147k
14392 tests	77.8%	141,000 · 109k to 171k
15636 tests	81.6%	147,000 · 119k to 173k
16768 tests	77.6%	149,000 · 125k to 179k
17789 tests	78.2%	157,000 · 129k to 183k
18544 tests	78.1%	157,000 · 135k to 181k

535 pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the BMW 535. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Tyres

A tyre cords visible or damaged

2.1in 100 tests

Coil springs

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

1.9in 100 tests

Tyre tread

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1.9in 100 tests

Side and tail lights

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

1.1in 100 tests

Wiper blades

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

1.1in 100 tests

Screen washers

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

1.0in 100 tests

Suspension bushes

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

0.9in 100 tests

Track rod ends

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

0.9in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Engine oil leaks

Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users

7.0in 100 tests

Brake pads

A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

5.3in 100 tests

Brake discs

Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

4.5in 100 tests

Brake pipes

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

4.0in 100 tests

Windscreen

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)

3.6in 100 tests

Tyre tread

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

2.5in 100 tests

Shock absorbers

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

2.4in 100 tests

Brake hoses

A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched

2.0in 100 tests

What to check on a used 535

The parts that come up most often in BMW 535 MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

Oil leaks
Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
Brake discs and pads
Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
Brake pipes and hoses
Look underneath at the metal brake pipes for heavy rust, and at the rubber hoses for cracks or bulges.
Wipers, washers and windscreen
Run the wipers and washers, and look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.

Check a specific 535

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the BMW 535?

In 2023, 82.9% of 8,729 initial MOT tests on the BMW 535 ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans.

What fails most often on a BMW 535 MOT?

The most common failures were tyres (2.1 in 100 tests), coil springs (1.9 in 100 tests), tyre tread (1.9 in 100 tests).

What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old BMW 535?

At 10 years old, the median BMW 535 at its MOT had covered 93,000 miles, and the middle half had between 75,000 and 123,000 miles.

What do MOT testers most often advise on a BMW 535?

The most common advisories were engine oil leaks (7.0 in 100 tests), brake pads (5.3 in 100 tests), brake discs (4.5 in 100 tests).

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.