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Bmw 3 series pickup vs Bmw 520: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Bmw 3 series pickup
74%
MOT pass rate · 1 vehicles
Bmw 520
78%
MOT pass rate · 156,398 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Bmw 3 series pickup (74%) and Bmw 520 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Bmw 3 series pickup Bmw 520
MOT pass rate 74% 78% ✓
MOT failure rate 26% 22% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 1.7 1.6 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 3%
Average mileage 178,030 mi 134,460 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 1 156,398

Most common faults

Bmw 3 series pickup

  1. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  5. Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
  6. Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Bmw 520

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  5. Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
  6. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Bmw 3 series pickup (74%) and Bmw 520 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Bmw 3 series pickup report Full Bmw 520 report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.