How many on the roadMOT results

BMW518 I

50 BMW 518 I cars are licensed in the UK, and another 156 are declared off the road (SORN). Licensed numbers peaked at 8,497 at or before the end of 1994, when these records start; less than 1% of that peak is still licensed. Over the last five years the number on the register has fallen by 7%. One of 398 versions DVLA records under the BMW 5 Series.

MOT79.7% pass first time · cars the same age 71.0%Jump to MOT results

DVLA also records this version as “518I”; those are included.

Licensed
50taxed for the road
SORN
156declared off the road
On the register
206licensed + SORN
1-year change
+0.5%vs June 2025
5-year change
−7.2%on the register
Peak licensed
8,4971994 or earlier
United Kingdom · DfT VEH0120 · 1994 to 2026 Q2

Cars on the register over time

LicensedSORN (stacked on top)

Yearly figures to 2007, then every quarter. Figures cover Great Britain until June 2014 and the whole UK from September 2014, marked on the chart, when Northern Ireland records were added. SORN was only recorded from the end of 2007, so earlier totals show licensed cars only. Small dips at each year end are usually seasonal: some owners SORN their cars for winter.

United Kingdom · DfT VEH0124 · end of 2025

Which years have survived

Cars still registered at the end of 2025, by the year they were made.

LicensedSORN

Year of manufacture, or year of first registration where DVLA has no manufacture year.

United Kingdom · DfT VEH0160 + VEH0124 · 2001 onwards

New each year, and how many are still here

35 were first registered between 2001 and 2025, and 0 of those are still registered. Too few in any one year to chart. This data starts in 2001, so cars first registered before then aren't counted here.

United Kingdom · VEH0120 · 2026 Q2

Fuel type

LicensedSORN
  • Petrol206

As recorded by DVLA, including some likely recording errors.

United Kingdom · VEH0220 · end of 2025

Engine size

LicensedSORN
  • 1701cc to 1800cc203
  • 3 other bands, each under 1%4

Small bands are grouped because most are DVLA recording errors, such as cars listed with engines under 100cc.

United Kingdom · VEH0120 · 2026 Q2

All BMW 5 Series versions

DVLA's detailed model names. Choose one to see its own figures.

VersionLicensedSORNOn the register, 2008–2025
520D M Sport Auto41,5562,841
520D SE Auto25,4672,542
530E M Sport Auto12,123791
530D M Sport Auto10,285943
520D SE7,3462,438
520D M Sport Mhev Auto7,653372
520I M Sport Auto6,05375
530D SE Auto4,0841,721
535D M Sport Auto4,271635
520D M Sport3,3411,084

Great Britain · DVSA MOT tests · 2025

MOT results

In 2025, 79.7% of BMW 5 Series MOT tests were passed first time, better than the 71.0% for cars of the same age. 7.0% had at least one dangerous defect (7.6% for cars the same age).

MOT records don’t name versions, so these figures cover every BMW 5 Series.

First-time pass
79.7%of initial tests
Cars the same age
71.0%first-time pass
Dangerous defect
7.0%same age 7.6%
Tests
203,243in 2025

Most common failures

  1. Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.1%Tyres · cars the same age 2.3%
  2. Coil spring: fractured or broken2.1%Suspension · cars the same age 2.5%
  3. Condition: has ply or cords exposed1.9%Tyres · cars the same age 1.3%

Full BMW 5 Series MOT results Failures by area, pass rate by year, advisories.

UK figures to the end of June 2026, and to the end of 2025 for year built and engine size. Updated 9 November 2026.

Figures cover the United Kingdom. Quarterly history before 2014 Q3 covers Great Britain only, because the UK figures start then; Northern Ireland adds a few percent from that point. SORN (off-road) counts are only available from the end of 2007. Older vehicles often have no model recorded by DVLA, so counts for classic models are likely to be low.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, Vehicle licensing statistics.

MOT figures: initial MOT tests in Great Britain during 2025. Cars under 3 years old don't need an MOT, and most cars over 40 are exempt, so older models are represented by the owners who choose to test. MOT records can't separate car and van versions of the same model.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, anonymised MOT tests and results.