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E21 MPL

2004 BMW 520

Black Petrol 2171cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Jan 2027
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

96,453 mi
Last recorded96,453 miles
Recorded on7 Jan 2026
Typical for 2004 BMW 52084,715 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationE21 MPL
MakeBMW
Model520
Year2004
ColourBlack
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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 7 Jan 2026 96,453 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Fail 6 Jan 2026 96,453 miles

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 245/45/17 (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 7 Jan 2025 86,909 miles

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

oil leak

Fail 2 Jan 2025 86,898 miles

Nearside Front Road wheel fixing missing (5.2.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

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

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

oil leak

Pass 3 Jan 2024 78,134 miles

Headlamp lens slightly defective both (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Pass 28 Jun 2023 75,662 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Fail 28 Jun 2023 75,662 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Pass 29 Jun 2022 63,018 miles

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

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

Pass 1 Jul 2021 54,876 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2020 49,898 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2019 46,270 miles

Front Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 1 Nov 2018 45,061 miles
Fail 30 Oct 2018 45,041 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension rod ball joint excessively worn front (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Pass 22 Aug 2017 37,808 miles

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

Fail 21 Aug 2017 37,808 miles

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

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

Pass 25 Aug 2016 37,176 miles

Nearside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Valve stem slightly damaged both fronts (4.1.D.1e)

Valve stem slightly damaged both rears (4.1.D.1e)

Pass 20 Aug 2015 36,297 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2014 35,598 miles

o/s/r tyre has slight cuts in tread

Pass 21 Aug 2013 34,981 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2012 34,213 miles
Pass 18 Aug 2011 32,857 miles

full under tray fitted unable to carry out full under vehiclr inspection

punture warning light on

Pass 27 Aug 2010 31,304 miles

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

Offside Outer Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

rear registration plate has started to delaminate

Pass 27 Aug 2009 28,795 miles

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

Pass 28 Aug 2008 25,022 miles

Nail in nearside rear tyre

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

Pass 24 Aug 2007 20,625 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

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E21 MPL is a 2004 BMW 520 in Black with a 2,171cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

Across all 2004 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.8% with a typical mileage of 84,715 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 E21 MPL, 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 22 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 E21 MPL?

You can check the full history of E21 MPL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E21 MPL registered?

E21 MPL is a 2004 BMW 520, first registered on 1 September 2004.

Is E21 MPL safe to buy?

The MOT history for E21 MPL shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E21 MPL 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 E21 MPL. 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.