BMW
525
28,645 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 525s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 0.5 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
77.0%
Pass-after-fix
4.7%
Fail
17.5%
Avg miles
140,414
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
BMW 525: mixed MOT record across 18,842 tests
The BMW E12 is the first generation of 5 Series executive cars, which was produced from 1972 to 1981 and replaced the saloon models of the BMW New Class range.
MOT data from 18,842 tests puts this car on a 73.5% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 138,452 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective.
Buyers weighing up a used 525 should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 34–46
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
34–46
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,087 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 02
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
826 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 03
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
584 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 04
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
520 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 05
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
488 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 06
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
458 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 07
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
450 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 08
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
432 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 09
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
409 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 10
A tyre cords visible or damaged
405 occurrences · 1.4% 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 4 failures
£158–£450
If every one of this 525'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.
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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · 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 03 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-640 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£10.99
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-904 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£10.99
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-905 BMW Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£10.99
View at My Motor World →
Draper Expert
Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW
£18.69
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Buying or keeping a 525?
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 525 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.