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Bmw 520 vs Bmw 530i: reliability comparison

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

Bmw 520
78%
MOT pass rate · 156,398 vehicles
Bmw 530i
83%
MOT pass rate · 17 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Bmw 520 (78%) and Bmw 530i (83%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Bmw 520 Bmw 530i
MOT pass rate 78% 83% ✓
MOT failure rate 22% 17% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 1.6 0.2 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 3% 0% ✓
Average mileage 134,460 mi 87,436 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 156,398 17

Most common faults

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))

Bmw 530i

  1. Central Rear Seat belt buckle missing (7.1.2 (d))
  2. Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Outer joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  3. Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Outer joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  4. Offside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated needs replacing soon (6.1.7 (g) (i))
  5. Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated both front outer c.v boots (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Bmw 520 (78%) and Bmw 530i (83%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Bmw 520 report Full Bmw 530i 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.