UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW 5 Series cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 196,710 licensed and 42,656 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW 5 Series generic-model group.

Looking at a 5 Series?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular 5 Series is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 5 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 248,156 in 2019 Q2 and stand at 196,710 in 2026 Q1, down 21%. That is down 17% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 42,656 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 239,366 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

5 Series MOT pass rate

In 2024, 83.3% of 64,512 BMW 5 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 88.6% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 68.3% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 5.5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Tread Depth — 2% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Headlamp Aim — 1.6% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Springs — 1.3% of tests. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 5.5% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Tread Depth — 2% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Headlamp Aim — 1.6% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Springs — 1.3% of tests in 2024. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
  • Check the actual 5 Series — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1196,71042,656
2025 Q4199,29441,853
2025 Q3201,90940,736
2025 Q2204,13140,031
2025 Q1206,20739,734
2024 Q4207,97739,171
2024 Q3211,11838,521
2024 Q2214,23638,049
2024 Q1215,96537,741
2023 Q4218,32537,043
2023 Q3221,94535,583
2023 Q2225,13334,760
2023 Q1227,11934,255
2022 Q4229,33333,763
2022 Q3229,89632,769
2022 Q2231,27132,147
2022 Q1232,32632,061
2021 Q4233,98431,569
2021 Q3236,21430,660
2021 Q2237,98730,420
2021 Q1237,75630,670
2020 Q4239,51830,087
2020 Q3242,85428,977
2020 Q2242,81529,186
2020 Q1243,69229,352
2019 Q4245,95927,470
2019 Q3247,57826,083
2019 Q2248,15625,048
2019 Q1247,64324,415
2018 Q4246,10423,911
2018 Q3245,11522,545
2018 Q2244,13821,674
2018 Q1242,24320,980
2017 Q4240,75820,465
2017 Q3241,84819,269
2017 Q2240,72518,561
2017 Q1239,72517,728
2016 Q4238,70417,198
2016 Q3236,45416,115
2016 Q2235,30815,341
2016 Q1233,85615,125
2015 Q4232,19214,533
2015 Q3230,84613,486
2015 Q2228,77013,062
2015 Q1226,44212,717
2014 Q4224,16612,661
2014 Q3224,88311,539

Other BMW models

See how many of every BMW model are left

Common questions

How many BMW 5 Series cars are left in the UK?

196,710 were licensed and 42,656 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW 5 Series cars are SORN?

42,656 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 239,366 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 5 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 248,156 in 2019 Q2 and stand at 196,710 in 2026 Q1, down 21%. That is down 17% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 42,656 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 239,366 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW 5 Series MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 83.3% of 64,512 BMW 5 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the 5 Series fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (5.5% of tests), tread depth (2% of tests), headlamp aim (1.6% of tests).

Does this say whether one 5 Series is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.