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E281 DGU

1987 BMW 525

Black Petrol 2693cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Nov 2026
Tests10 (8 pass, 2 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

151,315 mi
Last recorded151,315 miles
Recorded on26 Nov 2025
Typical for 1987 BMW 525128,107 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

RegistrationE281 DGU
MakeBMW
Model525
Year1987
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,693cc

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

8 pass 2 fail
Pass 26 Nov 2025 151,315 miles
Pass 7 Feb 2025 151,311 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 30 Jun 2023 151,310 miles
Pass 25 Jun 2022 151,205 miles

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Nearside and Offside (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 29 Jun 2021 151,032 miles

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

Pass 13 Jun 2020 150,589 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Rear Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 30 Jul 2018 150,355 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 28 Jul 2018 150,353 miles

Nearside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

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

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

Pass 5 Sep 2015 150,226 miles
Fail 29 Aug 2015 150,198 miles

Nearside Front Front suspension ball joint dust cover missing link rod cover torn (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure is damaged, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings carrier (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Front suspension ball joint dust cover missing link rod cover split (2.4.G.2)

How Reliable is the BMW 525?

Based on 724,963 MOT tests across 56,965 vehicles.

74.4%
Pass Rate
7,259
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
56,965
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 33,171
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 17,448
Brake pipe excessively corroded 16,227
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 10,065
Track rod end ball joint has excessive play 9,710
Full BMW 525 reliability report

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E281 DGU is a 1987 BMW 525 in Black with a 2,693cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 10 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

Across all 1987 BMW 525 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.8% with a typical mileage of 128,107 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 525 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 33,171 recorded failures. If you're considering buying E281 DGU, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 525 typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 39 years old, this BMW 525 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E281 DGU?

You can check the full history of E281 DGU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E281 DGU registered?

E281 DGU is a 1987 BMW 525, first registered on 29 October 1987.

Is E281 DGU safe to buy?

The MOT history for E281 DGU shows 10 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 E281 DGU 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 E281 DGU. 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.