2009 BMW 520 2.0L Diesel · PF09 RHA

The mechanical story of this 2009 BMW 520 is one of broadly stable roadworthiness punctuated by two specific failure episodes and a recurring advisory pattern centred on the rear axle and steering. The most recent test on 16 May 2026 was a clean pass with no defects recorded, and this follows three further consecutive passes in 2025, 2024, and late 2022, all similarly free of advisories. This represents a four-test uninterrupted run of clean results. However, this recent cleanliness must be weighed against the 2021 failure for a parking brake lever ratchet not holding correctly, a 2020 failure for a missing rear road wheel fixing, and persistent advisories across the 2020 and 2021 tests relating to steering rack inner joint play, rear tyre edge wear, and pitted front and rear brake discs. The 2020 to 2021 period clearly marked a less settled phase for the vehicle, and the components flagged then should not be assumed resolved simply because later tests are silent on them. With 127,247 miles recorded across approximately seventeen years, the vehicle accumulates around 7,485 miles annually, which sits broadly within the typical range for a car of this age and provenance. There are no multi-year gaps in the testing record and no dramatic step changes in mileage between consecutive tests, suggesting consistent rather than intermittent use. At this level of accumulated mileage, wear items such as suspension bushes, coil springs, dampers, brake discs, pads, and the steering and drivetrain mounts of an E60 generation 5 Series will be approaching or have already passed their expected service life, even where recent MOT inspections have not specifically flagged them. A prospective buyer should therefore regard the headline mileage as routine but the absolute figure as significant for a chassis of this complexity and age. The 2020 advisories for pitted and scored front and rear brake discs, and the 2021 advisory for play in the offside front steering rack inner joint, are the items most directly relevant to a test drive. The discs are likely to have been resurfaced or replaced since, but any judder through the brake pedal under firm application, a vibrating steering wheel under braking, or a noticeable lip on the disc edge felt through the wheel spokes would suggest the discs have deteriorated again. The steering rack joint play should be checked by rotating the wheel from lock to lock with the engine running and listening for clonking or rattling, and by driving over uneven surfaces at low speed to detect any knocking transmitted through the rack. Rear brake binding or imbalance, given the parking brake ratchet failure, should be evaluated by confirming the vehicle rolls freely on a flat surface with the handbrake fully released and that the rear wheels do not drag or overheat after a short drive. The 2021 advisories for both rear tyres being worn close to the legal limit and worn on the inner or outer edge point to a possible rear axle geometry or camber issue, which is worth scrutinising on any prospective example of this generation of 5 Series. A careful look at the inside and outside shoulders of the rear tyres for feathering or stepped wear, and a check of the rear suspension arms, subframe mounting points, and anti-roll bar bushes for corrosion or perished rubber, would be advisable given the age and mileage. The 2020 failure for a missing rear wheel fixing is unusual and isolated, but it does mean the wheels should be inspected to confirm all fixings are present, correctly torqued, and that the studs and bolts are undamaged. Finally, a general inspection of the underbody, exhaust mounting, and any areas of structural corrosion typical of E60s approaching the end of their second decade would complete a sensible pre-purchase evaluation.