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N21 OWA

1999 BMW 523

Green Petrol 2500cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires9 Jun 2026
Tests31 (19 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate61.3%

Mileage

138,700 mi
Last recorded138,700 miles
Recorded on5 Jun 2025
Typical for 1999 BMW 523117,158 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

RegistrationN21 OWA
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1999
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,500cc

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

19 pass 12 fail
Pass 5 Jun 2025 138,700 miles

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 5 Jun 2025 138,699 miles

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 10 Jun 2024 133,513 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both front (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 5 Jun 2023 128,889 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2022 123,359 miles
Pass 1 Nov 2021 123,352 miles
Fail 1 Nov 2021 123,352 miles

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 25 Oct 2021 123,351 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Fail 15 Oct 2021 123,288 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced and outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced and outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 19 Oct 2020 121,158 miles

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

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge nearside and offside (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 5 Oct 2020 121,157 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Nearside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

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

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

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge nearside and offside (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 1 Oct 2019 118,853 miles

Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated Both sides (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Pass 1 Oct 2018 115,886 miles
Fail 1 Oct 2018 115,886 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage likely to become detached (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage likely to become detached (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 26 Sep 2017 112,473 miles
Pass 4 Oct 2016 108,223 miles
Fail 4 Oct 2016 108,223 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush front (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high and too far to the left. (1.8)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush front (2.4.G.2)

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

Rear rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Pass 6 Oct 2015 104,059 miles

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

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

Pass 7 Oct 2014 99,132 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

rear exhaust heat sheild insecure

Fail 7 Oct 2014 99,132 miles

Nearside 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 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 low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

rear exhaust heat sheild insecure

Pass 3 Oct 2013 94,769 miles
Fail 27 Sep 2013 94,719 miles

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 14 Sep 2012 89,042 miles
Fail 13 Sep 2012 89,042 miles

Bootlid cannot be secured in the closed position (6.4.1)

Pass 1 Mar 2011 85,523 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Fail 28 Feb 2011 85,523 miles

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

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

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 2 Mar 2010 80,789 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2010 80,789 miles

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Pass 7 Jan 2009 79,741 miles

advise rear tyres aprox 3mm

slight corrosion on rear brake pipes

slight movment in front suspension

Pass 20 Dec 2006 70,175 miles

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

Pass 21 Dec 2005 62,693 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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N21 OWA is a 1999 BMW 523 in Green with a 2,500cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.3%.

Across all 1999 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.7% with a typical mileage of 117,158 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 N21 OWA, 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 27 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 N21 OWA?

You can check the full history of N21 OWA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N21 OWA registered?

N21 OWA is a 1999 BMW 523, first registered on 16 December 1999.

Is N21 OWA safe to buy?

The MOT history for N21 OWA shows 31 tests with a 61.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N21 OWA 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 N21 OWA. 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.