CarVerify

Free Car Check

CA51 BES

2003 BMW 520

Silver Petrol 2171cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Nov 2026
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

168,569 mi
Last recorded168,569 miles
Recorded on29 Nov 2025
Typical for 2003 BMW 52084,985 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationCA51 BES
MakeBMW
Model520
Year2003
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,171cc

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

21 pass 6 fail
Pass 29 Nov 2025 168,569 miles

Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Fail 29 Nov 2025 168,569 miles

Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

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

Pass 22 Nov 2024 155,956 miles

Offside Rear Drive shaft flexible coupling slightly deteriorated (6.1.7 (d) (i))

plastic undertrays fitted

underside has light corrosion

Pass 27 Nov 2023 150,678 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

undertrays fitted

Pass 28 Nov 2022 147,605 miles

Central Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to Rear (1.1.11 (c))

Exhaust heat sheilds lose

Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Both (4.1.4 (b))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Into Flexi (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Into Flexi (1.1.11 (c))

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

Rear diff mist of oil

Under Tray fitted not allowing full inspection

Fail 23 Nov 2022 147,604 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Rear inner arm pin bush marked yellow (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Central Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to Rear (1.1.11 (c))

Exhaust heat sheilds lose

Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Both (4.1.4 (b))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Into Flexi (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Into Flexi (1.1.11 (c))

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

Rear diff mist of oil

Under Tray fitted not allowing full inspection

Pass 24 Nov 2021 138,474 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 28 Nov 2020 132,746 miles
Pass 15 May 2019 123,039 miles
Fail 15 May 2019 123,039 miles

Driver's airbag obviously inoperative (7.1.5 (c))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 25 May 2018 114,009 miles

Front Inner brake pipes covered in grease obscuring them both n/side and o/side

engine covers / under body covers fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 23 Jun 2017 107,081 miles
Pass 28 Jun 2016 103,253 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded BOTH FRONT TO FLEXI HOSES (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 27 Jun 2016 103,253 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Brake pipe slightly corroded BOTH FRONT TO FLEXI HOSES (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 29 May 2015 100,464 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 24 Jun 2014 96,908 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

nearside front Tyre cracked between tread

Fail 23 Jun 2014 96,908 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

nearside front Tyre cracked between tread

Pass 12 Jul 2013 94,066 miles

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 30 Jun 2012 88,933 miles

nearside front tyre has small cracks in tread

Pass 27 Jul 2011 81,921 miles
Pass 14 Jul 2010 77,281 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

all tyres slightly wearing on inner edge

Pass 6 Jul 2009 72,679 miles
Pass 5 Jul 2008 61,548 miles

Offside Rear Lower Trailing arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 4 Jul 2008 61,545 miles

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Offside Rear Lower Trailing arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 21 Jul 2007 45,046 miles
Pass 25 Aug 2006 31,971 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2006 30,765 miles

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

CA51 BES is a 2003 BMW 520 in Silver with a 2,171cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

Across all 2003 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 74.5% with a typical mileage of 84,985 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 CA51 BES, 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 23 years old, this BMW 520 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of CA51 BES?

You can check the full history of CA51 BES by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was CA51 BES registered?

CA51 BES is a 2003 BMW 520, first registered on 18 September 2003.

Is CA51 BES safe to buy?

The MOT history for CA51 BES shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does CA51 BES 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 CA51 BES. 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.