Which year BMW 520 is most reliable?

Based on 150,282 vehicles (1980–2019) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"

These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 520 at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 520 at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."

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Years to look for

2008–2019

Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other 520s

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Below model average

1980–1981, 1983, 1985–1994, 1996–1999

Lower pass rate than other 520s — worth checking the MOT history before buying

See common failures for 1980 →

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Dataset

150,282

vehicles · 1980–2019 · millions of MOT records

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CarHunch sweet spot — 2000–2016

These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 70.8–89.6% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year	Pass rate	Vehicles
2019	90.7%	125	Recommended
2018	90.2%	196	Recommended
2017	89.3%	1,571	Recommended
2016	89.6%	13,240	Recommended
2015	88.8%	13,929	Recommended
2014	87.2%	13,916	Recommended
2013	85.5%	8,122	Recommended
2012	82.3%	8,648	Recommended
2011	81.7%	12,831	Recommended
2010	80.7%	7,432	Recommended
2009	80.4%	7,430	Recommended
2008	80.0%	8,566	Recommended
2007	77.9%	7,863
2006	76.0%	6,132
2005	75.8%	2,225
2004	78.5%	1,496
2003	76.6%	2,240
2002	75.1%	2,159
2001	73.9%	2,622
2000	70.8%	2,432
1999	68.6%	2,883	Below avg
1998	67.9%	3,273	Below avg
1997	67.7%	2,390	Below avg
1996	67.8%	1,743	Below avg
1995	69.3%	2,566
1994	67.2%	2,248	Below avg
1993	68.0%	1,916	Below avg
1992	67.6%	2,163	Below avg
1991	67.9%	1,725	Below avg
1990	68.8%	1,582	Below avg
1989	66.0%	1,381	Below avg
1988	66.7%	735	Below avg
1987	64.1%	419	Below avg
1986	65.2%	260	Below avg
1985	60.1%	179	Below avg
1983	48.2%	105	Below avg
1981	0.9%	684	Below avg
1980	0.4%	855	Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

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Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?

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