BMW
2,246 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 520d Xdrive M Sport Mhev Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.9%
Pass-after-fix
1.1%
Fail
8.4%
Avg miles
36,371
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from all UK clean air zone charges.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,246 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old 520d Xdrive M Sport Mhev Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
90.1%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
1.3%
Avg mileage at test
41,552 mi
Pass
89.8%
Fail
9.3%
PRS
0.9%
Avg mileage at test
30,208 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 656 MOT tests, the 520d Xdrive M Sport Mhev Auto returns 89.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Windscreen damage and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 30,351, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
26–44
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A tyre seriously damaged
48 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
40 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
32 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
30 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
16 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
15 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
8 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
8 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
8 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
8 occurrences · 0.4% 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
£80–£140
If every one of this 520d Xdrive M Sport Mhev Auto'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy BMW 520d Xdrive M Sport Mhev Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.1%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.1% — a 0.3-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
89.8%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 89.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, has a cut in excess of the…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 30,208 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (89.8% pass). That's a 0.3-point spread across 1,019 older tests and 1,227 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
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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 520d Xdrive M Sport Mhev Auto 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.
