MOT History from tests of petrol BMW 5-SERIESs year 1998

Review the list of common BMW 5-SERIES failures below or to perform a specific mot history check on your BMW then use our popular KnowYourCar service

mot history

Pass percent:56.37%

(The average a petrol BMW 5-SERIES year 1998 passes without issue)

Based on:126,644 MOT Tests

Most common failures	No# failures
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements \|3.7.B.7\|	16240
Headlamp aim out of alignment	10651
Rear parking brake recording little or no effort	8796
Brake pipe excessively corroded	8509
Registration plate lamp issues	5650
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive \|7.3.D.3\|	4294
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively	3735
Brake hose excessively deteriorated	3463
Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault \|5.4.2\|	2557
Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault	2433
Registration plate issues	2178
Nearside Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	2136
Offside Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	2049
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive \|7.3.D.4\|	2020
Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits \|7.3.D.3\|	1904
Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	1454
Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	1407
Offside Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	1398
Nearside Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	1180
Offside Rear coil spring fractured \|2.4.C.1a\|	1067
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	995
Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle excessive \|7.3.D.3\|	922
Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	904
Centre Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	904
Offside Rear coil spring incomplete \|2.4.C.1a\|	869
Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened	848
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	834
Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	809
Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	746
Nearside Rear coil spring fractured \|2.4.C.1a\|	734
Brakes imbalanced across an axle	712
Nearside Rear coil spring incomplete \|2.4.C.1a\|	691
Nearside Front Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	665
Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	663
Offside Front Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	662
Offside Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	634
Offside Rear fog lamp not working \|1.3.2b\|	624
Rear brake binding	621
Parking brake lever has no reserve travel \|3.1.6b\|	605
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	561
Nearside Steering rack gaiter split \|2.2.D.2d\|	530
Anti-lock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate \|3.4.1b\|	514
Windscreen has damage	512
Offside Rear coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	508
Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	503
Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	498
Driver`s door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle \|6.2.B.1b\|	489
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	486
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	459
Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	445
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))	438
Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	404
Nearside Rear coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	397
Nearside Rear position lamp\|s\| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance \|1.1.A.3d\|	395
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	393
Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	389
Offside Rear position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	388
Offside Rear position lamp\|s\| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance \|1.1.A.3d\|	386
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	385
Offside Headlamp not working on main beam \|1.7.5a\|	378
Horn not working \|1.6.2a\|	375
Offside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	374
Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	347
Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter split \|2.2.D.2d\|	340
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))	329
Offside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	328
Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle \|6.2.B.1b\|	310
Nearside Rear position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	306
Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	297
Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened	288
Offside Steering rack gaiter split \|2.2.D.2d\|	284
Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone `A` \|8.3.1e\|	276
Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	272
Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	269
Emissions not tested \|7.0\|	269
Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	269
Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image \|1.2.4a\|	265
Service brake: efficiency below requirements \|3.7.B.7\|	252
Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image \|1.2.4a\|	251
Brake hose damaged	245
Parking brake efficiency below requirements \|1.4.2 \|a\| \|i\|\|	242
Windscreen washer not working	240
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	240
Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	238
Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	234
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	227
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	227
Nearside Headlamp insecure \|1.7.3\|	226
Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted \|3.5.1h\|	226
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	220
Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour \|1.4.A.2f\|	217
Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	215
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	210
Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced \|1.7.5a\|	205
Nearside Rear brake disc excessively pitted \|3.5.1h\|	201
Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced \|1.7.5a\|	198
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault \|7.1.6 \|a\|\|	194
Centre Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	194
Offside Front Steering rack gaiter split \|2.2.D.2d\|	192
Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	191
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	191
Electronic stability system warning lamp indicates a fault \|3.4.1c\|	191
Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	187
Offside Rear Rear position lamp\|s\| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance \|1.1.A.3d\|	186
Offside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	184
Centre Rear Statutory seat belt missing \|5.1.1\|	182
Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort \|3.7.B.5a\|	178
Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working \|1.3.2b\|	175
Nearside Rear Rear position lamp\|s\| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance \|1.1.A.3d\|	173
Nearside Rear Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release \|5.2.5a\|	168
Offside Rear coil spring cracked \|2.4.C.1a\|	167
Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	167
Driver`s airbag obviously defective \|5.4.1\|	166

We get to these numbers by trawling through over 1 billion MOT test results since 2004 and crunched the numbers. We remove anything to do with Tyres, as they are model independent and group together common non-model specific issues. We are trying to get to a picture of what models have what issues.

Please note: We take the data from the DVSA. This data is raw and can contain typos and spelling mistakes that garages may have entered while recording a MOT result. Specifically miss-match on names of models and makes. We are constantly cleaning the data so bear with the odd issue.

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MOT History from tests of petrol BMW 5-SERIESs year 1998

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