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L5 RSA

1997 BMW 523

Green Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires9 May 2011
Tests9 (5 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate55.6%

Mileage

140,286 mi
Last recorded140,286 miles
Recorded on10 May 2010
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

RegistrationL5 RSA
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
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

5 pass 4 fail
Pass 10 May 2010 140,286 miles

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

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

air bag warning light stays on

center stop light not working

emissions took long time to come in

nearside front tyre wearing on outside edge

off side rear brake light falt staying on dash

under trays fitted

Fail 5 May 2010 140,209 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

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

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

air bag warning light stays on

center stop light not working

nearside front tyre wearing on outside edge

under trays fitted

Pass 5 Nov 2008 135,971 miles

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

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

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

under trays fitted

Fail 5 Nov 2008 135,971 miles

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

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

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

under trays fitted

Pass 5 Nov 2007 131,551 miles

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

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

offside rear tyre near wearblocks

under trays fitted

Pass 2 Nov 2006 128,287 miles
Fail 2 Nov 2006 128,287 miles

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

under tray fitted

Pass 9 Nov 2005 125,317 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

emission test went full time to run in side fast idle limits †undertray fitted

Fail 7 Nov 2005 125,305 miles

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

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

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

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

under tray fitted

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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L5 RSA is a 1997 BMW 523 in Green with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 9 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 55.6%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 L5 RSA, 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 L5 RSA?

You can check the full history of L5 RSA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L5 RSA registered?

L5 RSA is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is L5 RSA safe to buy?

The MOT history for L5 RSA shows 9 tests with a 55.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L5 RSA 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 L5 RSA. 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.