Skip to content

Bmw 323i vs Bmw 520: reliability comparison

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

Bmw 323i
77%
MOT pass rate · 709 vehicles
Bmw 520
78%
MOT pass rate · 156,398 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Bmw 323i (77%) 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 323i Bmw 520
MOT pass rate 77% 78% ✓
MOT failure rate 23% 22% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 0.3 ✓ 1.6
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 3%
Average mileage 115,667 mi 134,460 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 709 156,398

Most common faults

Bmw 323i

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  3. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)
  5. Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  6. Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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 323i (77%) and Bmw 520 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Bmw 323i 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.