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B942 BYA

1985 BMW 520

Blue Petrol 1990cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Sep 2026
Tests16 (9 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate56.3%

Mileage

168,326 mi
Last recorded168,326 miles
Recorded on18 Sep 2025
Typical for 1985 BMW 520117,349 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationB942 BYA
MakeBMW
Model520
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,990cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

9 pass 7 fail
Pass 18 Sep 2025 168,326 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

coolant leak

oil leak

rear subframe bushes deteriorating

Fail 17 Sep 2025 168,326 miles

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

coolant leak

oil leak

rear subframe bushes deteriorating

Pass 18 Sep 2024 166,846 miles

Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Rear subframe bushes worn

front tyres worn on edges + perished

oil leak

Fail 18 Sep 2024 166,846 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Rear subframe bushes worn

front tyres worn on edges + perished

oil leak

Pass 15 Sep 2023 164,719 miles
Pass 30 Jun 2021 164,105 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

both rear coil springs corroded

both rear tyres starting to perish

nsf tyre perished/cracking

rear exhaust silencer badly repaired/ fouling body

wipers slow to park

Fail 29 Jun 2021 164,105 miles

Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Position lamp not working osf+osr (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 175/80/14 (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

both rear coil springs corroded

both rear tyres starting to perish

nsf tyre perished/cracking

rear exhaust silencer badly repaired/ fouling body

wipers slow to park

Pass 10 Jun 2020 163,986 miles

exhaust patched up & fouling rear floor

Fail 10 Jun 2020 163,986 miles

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

exhaust patched up & fouling rear floor

Pass 3 May 2019 163,212 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases system corroded (6.1.2 (a))

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt o/s & n/s inner (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Fail 3 May 2019 163,212 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases system corroded (6.1.2 (a))

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt o/s & n/s inner (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Pass 28 Apr 2018 45,613 miles

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

exhaust system corroded

Pass 10 Mar 2017 45,613 miles

Offside Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 23 Jun 2016 45,612 miles

Speedometer clearly inoperative (6.7.2)

Pass 10 Nov 2014 45,612 miles
Fail 10 Nov 2014 45,612 miles

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

How Reliable is the BMW 520?

Based on 1,661,806 MOT tests across 152,584 vehicles.

78.5%
Pass Rate
7,968
Miles/Year
35
Year Lifespan
152,584
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 47,121
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 22,647
Brake pipe excessively corroded 16,724
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 15,884
Track rod end ball joint has excessive play 14,720
Full BMW 520 reliability report

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B942 BYA is a 1985 BMW 520 in Blue with a 1,990cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 16 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 56.3%.

Across all 1985 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.0% with a typical mileage of 117,349 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a BMW 520 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 47,121 recorded failures. If you're considering buying B942 BYA, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 520 typically stays on UK roads for around 35 years. At 41 years old, this BMW 520 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of B942 BYA?

You can check the full history of B942 BYA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B942 BYA registered?

B942 BYA is a 1985 BMW 520, first registered on 21 May 1985.

Is B942 BYA safe to buy?

The MOT history for B942 BYA shows 16 tests with a 56.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B942 BYA have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on B942 BYA. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.