Used car guide

2021 BMW X5: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2021 BMW X5s, from 6,328 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

6,328MOT tests in 2025
86%pass first time (all 2021 cars: 87%)
10,100typical miles a year
2.5×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2021 BMW X5s than on all cars registered in 2021.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2.5× usual
    BMW X5
    2.7% All 2021 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.2% of all 2021 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

Better than most

Brake discs: 1.1% here, against 7.1% of all 2021 cars. Brake pads: 1.2% here, against 6.8% of all 2021 cars.

By area

The share of 2021 BMW X5 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    25% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    5% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Suspension
    4% 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.

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

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

  • Lights and electrics
    3% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Brakes
    3% 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.

Looking at a BMW X5?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20227,815Tyres 26%
20204,881Tyres 23%
20198,414Tyres 22%
20186,877Tyres 26%
20175,958Tyres 26%
20166,255Tyres 26%
20156,729Tyres 27%
20145,162Tyres 26%
20133,242Tyres 30%
20123,723Tyres 31%
20113,549Tyres 30%
20103,293Suspension 30%
20093,504Suspension 36%
20082,831Suspension 38%
20072,781Suspension 40%
20062,469Brakes 45%
20054,071Suspension 44%
20042,219Suspension 44%
20031,438Suspension 46%
2002779Suspension 43%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2021 BMW X5s registered in 2021. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score