CarVerify

Free Car Check

N517 NWO

1996 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires17 Sep 2014
Tests17 (8 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate47.1%

Mileage

155,396 mi
Last recorded155,396 miles
Recorded on15 Sep 2014
Typical for 1996 BMW 523123,198 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationN517 NWO
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1996
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

8 pass 9 fail
Fail 15 Sep 2014 155,396 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

nearside handbrake cable outer casing deteriorated

nearside rear tyre is cracked on inner sidewall

overdue service indicator displayed

Pass 18 Sep 2013 150,374 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

corrosion nearside rear inner sill

corrosion offside rear brake pipe

nearside front outer sill is holed and corroded

power steering hoses are damp

Fail 29 Aug 2013 150,374 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

nearside front outer sill is holed and corroded

Pass 13 Sep 2012 143,005 miles

center exhaust joint blowing

center stop light not working

n/s/f tyre worn close to legal limit/ worn on the outer edge

o/s/f anti roll bar drop link arm dust cover split

oil service light is on

reverse light not working

Fail 12 Sep 2012 143,005 miles

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

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

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

center exhaust joint blowing

center stop light not working

n/s/f tyre worn close to legal limit/ worn on the outer edge

o/s/f anti roll bar drop link arm dust cover split

oil service light is on

reverse light not working

Pass 26 Aug 2011 141,736 miles

fluff centre exaust joint

Fail 26 Aug 2011 141,736 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

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

fluff centre exaust joint

Pass 4 Mar 2010 139,363 miles

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

both front side lights are dull

front head lights are tainted

new hand brake reading 20%

service light on

Fail 4 Mar 2010 139,363 miles

Centre Rear Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

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

both front side lights are dull

front head lights are tainted

service light on

Pass 10 Mar 2009 136,933 miles

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

Coolant leak

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)

o/s front shock absorber dust cover missing

service light on

spare tyre soft

Fail 3 Mar 2009 136,896 miles

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

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Coolant leak

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)

o/s front shock absorber dust cover missing

service light on

spare tyre soft

Pass 6 Feb 2008 134,789 miles

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

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

Fail 5 Feb 2008 134,789 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

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

Pass 24 Jan 2007 121,572 miles
Fail 24 Jan 2007 121,572 miles

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

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

Fail 24 Jan 2006 109,103 miles

Headlamp aim too low when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 24 Jan 2006 109,103 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

N517 NWO is a 1996 BMW 523 in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 47.1%.

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 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 N517 NWO, 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 N517 NWO?

You can check the full history of N517 NWO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N517 NWO registered?

N517 NWO is a 1996 BMW 523, first registered on 31 May 1996.

Is N517 NWO safe to buy?

The MOT history for N517 NWO shows 17 tests with a 47.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N517 NWO 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 N517 NWO. 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.