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J11 NCE

1997 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Sep 2026
Tests26 (20 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76.9%

Mileage

141,168 mi
Last recorded141,168 miles
Recorded on24 Sep 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 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

RegistrationJ11 NCE
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourSilver
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 6 fail
Pass 24 Sep 2025 141,168 miles

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

Pass 19 Aug 2024 140,864 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2023 140,494 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2022 140,029 miles

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

rear subframe bushes

Pass 13 Aug 2021 139,632 miles

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced and Offside Rear inner sills corroding. (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

Sill trims fitted not allowing full inspection of inner and outer sills

Pass 24 Aug 2020 139,507 miles

Indicator tell tail inoperative

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced N/S/R and O/S/R Inner sills corroding but unable to inspect fully behind plastic trims (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 10 Aug 2020 139,505 miles

Indicator switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Central Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material x2 Front to Rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced N/S/R and O/S/R Inner sills corroding but unable to inspect fully behind plastic trims (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 12 Jul 2019 138,479 miles
Pass 18 Jul 2018 137,445 miles
Fail 5 Jul 2018 137,420 miles

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

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Rear Fuel Pipe/s corroded rusty ()

Pass 22 Jun 2017 136,790 miles
Pass 20 Jun 2016 135,319 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded to flexy (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3.0mm (4.1.E.1)

Under trays fitted to vehicle

Pass 4 Jul 2015 132,258 miles
Fail 26 Jun 2015 132,258 miles

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) DANGEROUS

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

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

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

rear suspension stiff

Pass 24 Jun 2014 129,605 miles

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

Pass 28 Jun 2013 126,640 miles
Pass 7 Jul 2012 124,937 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 24 Jun 2011 124,825 miles

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

Pass 29 Jul 2010 123,740 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

front brake discs are worn

Fail 27 Jul 2010 123,740 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

front brake discs are worn

Fail 21 Jul 2009 120,416 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear Exhaust mounting missing (7.1.1b)

Pass 21 Jul 2009 120,416 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 23 Jul 2008 108,282 miles

handbrake travel high

minor oil leak from rear diff

n/s/f and n/s/r tyres approx 3-4mm tread depth

Fail 23 Jul 2008 108,282 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

handbrake travel high

minor oil leak from rear diff

n/s/f and n/s/r tyres approx 3-4mm tread depth

Pass 24 Jul 2007 98,752 miles
Pass 11 Jul 2006 86,285 miles

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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J11 NCE is a 1997 BMW 523 in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.9%.

Across all 1997 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.1% with a typical mileage of 121,619 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 J11 NCE, 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 29 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 J11 NCE?

You can check the full history of J11 NCE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J11 NCE registered?

J11 NCE is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 20 August 1997.

Is J11 NCE safe to buy?

The MOT history for J11 NCE shows 26 tests with a 76.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J11 NCE 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 J11 NCE. 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.