MOT History from tests of petrol BMW 5-SERIESs year 2004

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:72.76%

(The average a petrol BMW 5-SERIES year 2004 passes without issue)

Based on:63,450 MOT Tests

Most common failures	No# failures
Brake pipe excessively corroded	2396
Headlamp aim out of alignment	2224
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements \|3.7.B.7\|	985
Registration plate issues	781
Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault \|5.4.2\|	778
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively	746
Registration plate lamp issues	519
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))	409
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\|	408
Rear parking brake recording little or no effort	404
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\|	399
Brake hose excessively deteriorated	339
Offside Rear coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	323
Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play \|2.2.B.1f\|	315
Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported \|7.1.1\|	303
Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	298
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\|	293
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\|	289
Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	286
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))	243
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))	237
Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened	203
Windscreen has damage	202
Nearside Side repeater not working \|1.4.A.2c\|	194
Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play \|2.2.B.1f\|	185
Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play \|2.2.B.1f\|	183
Offside Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	182
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault \|7.1.6 \|a\|\|	181
Parking brake lever has no reserve travel \|3.1.6b\|	177
Nearside Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	170
Offside Side repeater not working \|1.4.A.2c\|	167
Nearside Rear coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	165
Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits \|7.3.D.3\|	159
Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play \|2.2.B.1f\|	155
Windscreen washer not working	149
Brakes imbalanced across an axle	149
Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	147
Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	145
Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault	141
Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	139
Parking brake efficiency below requirements \|1.4.2 \|a\| \|i\|\|	130
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	129
Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	128
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	127
Offside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	126
Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	123
Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	122
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	119
Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	117
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	116
Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	116
Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	116
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))	115
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))	109
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive \|7.3.D.3\|	105
Offside Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	104
Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	102
Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	101
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\|	101
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction \|8.2.1.2 \|h\|\|	99
Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	98
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\|	98
Offside Front coil spring broken \|2.4.C.1a\|	95
Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))	95
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive \|7.3.D.4\|	94
Nearside Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	94
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|5.3.4 \|b\| \|ii\|\|	92
Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken \|5.3.1 \|b\| \|i\|\|	91
Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	88
Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))	88
Offside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	85
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	81
Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	78
Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak \|2.7.3\|	78
Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	77
Offside Front Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	76
Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated \|3.6.G.2\|	76
Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush \|2.4.G.2\|	76
Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))	76
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|5.3.4 \|b\| \|ii\|\|	74
Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone `A` \|8.3.1e\|	74
Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	73
Exhaust system not adequately supported \|7.1.1\|	71
Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))	71
Offside Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))	71
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	71
Nearside Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))	69
Nearside Front Front position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	67
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii))	67
Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	66
Nearside Rear Road wheel cracked \|4.2.A.1a\|	63
Offside Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	62
Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	62
Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint \|2.4.G.2\|	60
Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	59
Offside Rear coil spring fractured \|2.4.C.1a\|	59
Horn not working \|1.6.2a\|	57
Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect \|1.8.A.1b\|	57
Nearside Front Wheel bolt\|s\| missing \|4.2.A.1e\|	56
Service brake: efficiency below requirements \|3.7.B.7\|	55
Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken \|5.3.1 \|b\| \|i\|\|	54
Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))	54
Oil leaking excessively from engine \|8.4.1 \|a\| \|i\|\|	53
Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt \|2.4.G.2\|	53
Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam \|1.7.5a\|	52
Offside Rear position lamp\|s\| not working \|1.1.A.3b\|	52
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	52
Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working \|1.2.1b\|	52
Nearside Rear Wheel bolt\|s\| missing \|4.2.A.1e\|	52
Nearside Rear Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release \|5.2.5a\|	52
Offside Headlamp insecure \|1.7.3\|	52

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 2004

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