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G4 RTB

1996 BMW 523

Green Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Oct 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

159,252 mi
Last recorded159,252 miles
Recorded on26 Sep 2025
Typical for 1996 BMW 523123,198 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationG4 RTB
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1996
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,494cc

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 10 fail
Pass 26 Sep 2025 159,252 miles

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

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive both rear outer sills by jacking points (5.3.6 (a) (i))

exhaust system rusty

Pass 8 Oct 2024 159,250 miles

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

both rear jacking points getting rusty

Pass 5 Oct 2023 159,242 miles

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

Pass 8 Sep 2022 158,852 miles

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sills (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 8 Sep 2022 158,852 miles

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

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sills (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 14 Oct 2021 157,680 miles

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

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

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

ns & os sills starting to corrode at rear

Fail 22 Sep 2021 157,663 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Headlamp light intensity severely reduced (4.1.4 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Suspension rod ball joint excessively worn track control arm joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Central Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Suspension rod ball joint has slight play track control arm joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

corrosion starting in n/s and o/s rear of lower sills.(inner to outer welds)

Pass 16 Sep 2020 156,397 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material two pipes front too rear and across rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Fail 14 Sep 2020 156,397 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn rear arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material two pipes front too rear and across rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 6 Sep 2019 154,773 miles

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 2 Sep 2019 154,773 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 15 Aug 2018 154,758 miles
Fail 14 Aug 2018 154,757 miles

Nearside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Pass 23 Aug 2017 154,042 miles

offside rear light cluster lens cracked.

rear brake pipes corroding.

very slight oil seepage from front shock absorbers.

Pass 8 Aug 2016 150,273 miles

offside front tyre worn almost to wear indicators in tread centre.

offside rear lens cracked.

some wear in offside of steering rack.

Pass 21 Aug 2015 145,524 miles

both front tyres worn on inner edges.

offside rear lens cracked.

Pass 21 Aug 2014 140,644 miles

nearside handbrake poor.

Fail 5 Aug 2014 140,600 miles

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

nearside handbrake poor.

nearside rear tyre worn to limit.

Pass 27 Aug 2013 133,802 miles

both front tyres worn on inner edges.

both rear tyres worn to wear indicators in tread centre.

offside rear lens cracked.

Pass 24 Aug 2012 127,629 miles

nearside rear lens cracked.

Pass 27 Aug 2011 121,858 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2010 116,702 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly damaged (3.6.B.4d)

Pass 8 Aug 2009 110,348 miles
Fail 8 Aug 2009 110,348 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Pass 16 Aug 2008 103,929 miles
Fail 16 Aug 2008 103,929 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Pass 10 Aug 2007 95,904 miles
Pass 26 Aug 2006 87,120 miles
Fail 26 Aug 2006 87,121 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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

Fail 12 Jul 2006 86,799 miles

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

How Reliable is the BMW 523?

Based on 254,660 MOT tests across 20,979 vehicles.

69.9%
Pass Rate
5,849
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
20,979
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 17,201
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 15,085
parking brake recording little or no effort 9,427
Brake pipe excessively corroded 9,143
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 7,285
Full BMW 523 reliability report

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G4 RTB is a 1996 BMW 523 in Green with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1996 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.0% with a typical mileage of 123,198 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 523 fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 17,201 recorded failures. If you're considering buying G4 RTB, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 523 typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 30 years old, this BMW 523 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of G4 RTB?

You can check the full history of G4 RTB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G4 RTB registered?

G4 RTB is a 1996 BMW 523, first registered on 9 August 1996.

Is G4 RTB safe to buy?

The MOT history for G4 RTB shows 30 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G4 RTB 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 G4 RTB. 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.