Used car guide

2017 BMW 520: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2017 BMW 520s, from 1,462 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,462MOT tests in 2025
86%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%)
10,300typical miles a year
2.7×the usual rate for wheels

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2017 BMW 520s than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Wheels2.7× usual
    BMW 520
    2.7% All 2017 cars
    1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1%, against 0.3% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

Better than most

Suspension arm bushes and joints: 1.9% here, against 4.8% of all 2017 cars.

By area

The share of 2017 BMW 520 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    26% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    16% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    9% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    6% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Lights and electrics
    5% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Looking at a BMW 520?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
201611,923Tyres 26%
201512,114Tyres 27%
201411,329Tyres 28%
20136,481Tyres 29%
20126,020Tyres 31%
20116,844Tyres 31%
20103,675Suspension 33%
20093,423Suspension 39%
20082,220Suspension 42%
20072,434Suspension 50%
20061,564Suspension 50%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2017 BMW 520s registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score