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N138 KOU

1996 BMW 520

Green Petrol 1990cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires29 Mar 2017
Tests17 (10 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate58.8%

Mileage

242,246 mi
Last recorded242,246 miles
Recorded on14 Mar 2016
Typical for 1996 BMW 520126,144 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationN138 KOU
MakeBMW
Model520
Year1996
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,990cc

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

10 pass 7 fail
Pass 14 Mar 2016 242,246 miles

Offside Front Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Rear Tie bar/rod ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt nearside and offside double rose joint links to trailing arms. (2.4.G.2)

Fail 4 Mar 2016 242,164 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint Forward arm (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Obligatory mirror seriously deteriorated, affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Rear Tie bar/rod ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt nearside and offside double rose joint links to trailing arms. (2.4.G.2)

Pass 30 Mar 2015 230,824 miles

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

Propshaft front flexi joint seriously deteriorated.

Fail 26 Mar 2015 230,783 miles

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

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

Obligatory mirror missing (8.1.1)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Obligatory mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

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

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

Propshaft front flexi joint seriously deteriorated.

Pass 19 Mar 2014 220,282 miles

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

Fail 10 Mar 2014 220,281 miles

Front Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Pass 11 Mar 2013 214,544 miles
Fail 1 Mar 2013 214,247 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Outer Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Items removed from driver's view prior to test

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 5 Mar 2012 207,562 miles
Fail 28 Feb 2012 207,443 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Sub-frame has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Rear Sub-frame has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 1 Mar 2011 203,049 miles
Fail 25 Feb 2011 202,997 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Front 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)

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

Pass 9 Feb 2010 197,309 miles

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

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

rad leaking

Pass 15 Sep 2008 192,393 miles
Pass 1 Oct 2007 183,465 miles

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

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 pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Offside Headlamp not in a clean condition but not affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Pass 4 Aug 2006 164,881 miles

Front discs light corrosion and wear

Rear axle mounts perishing

Rear discs light corrosion and wear

Slight wear in steering

Fail 3 Aug 2006 164,876 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate (3.4.1b)

Exhaust tailpipe not capable of allowing the emission probe to be inserted (7.3.D.1)

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Rear Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Front discs slightly worn and lipped

N/S & O/S rear tyres soon 3000 miles

N/S/R tyre slight wear on inner edge

O/S/F tyre worn on inner edge

Rear axle mounts perishing

Rear discs light corrosion and wear

Rear no plate perishing

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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N138 KOU is a 1996 BMW 520 in Green with a 1,990cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.8%.

Across all 1996 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.7% with a typical mileage of 126,144 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 520 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 47,121 recorded failures. If you're considering buying N138 KOU, 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 30 years old, this BMW 520 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of N138 KOU?

You can check the full history of N138 KOU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N138 KOU registered?

N138 KOU is a 1996 BMW 520, first registered on 9 January 1996.

Is N138 KOU safe to buy?

The MOT history for N138 KOU shows 17 tests with a 58.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N138 KOU 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 N138 KOU. 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.