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N5 TSB

2003 BMW 525

Silver Diesel 2497cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Aug 2027
Tests29 (21 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate72.4%

Mileage

157,444 mi
Last recorded157,444 miles
Recorded on27 Jul 2026
Typical for 2003 BMW 525103,304 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

RegistrationN5 TSB
MakeBMW
Model525
Year2003
ColourSilver
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,497cc

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

21 pass 8 fail
Pass 27 Jul 2026 157,444 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened n/s & o/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front arm inner bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front arm inner bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Pass 29 Jul 2025 156,845 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material from rear pipes to main run (1.1.11 (c))

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened n/s & o/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin n/s & o/s (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front arm inner bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front arm inner bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play outer (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Pass 20 Jul 2024 155,557 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened n/s & o/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 9 Aug 2023 153,454 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material n/s & o/s to flexi pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Front Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

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

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material main run pipe (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 18 Jul 2022 151,273 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened n/s & o/s inner faces corroded (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint has slight play inner arm outer ball joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Jul 2021 148,037 miles

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing front and rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

exhaust system deteriorating

slight wear in o/s steering joint

Fail 15 Jul 2021 148,036 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded Front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing front and rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

exhaust system deteriorating

slight wear in o/s steering joint

Pass 3 Jul 2020 146,515 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

exhaust deteriorating

slight wear in o/s steering joint

Pass 9 Jul 2019 140,325 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge o/s and n/s (5.2.3 (e))

exhaust deteriorating

slight seepage from power steering rack

Pass 17 Jul 2018 134,435 miles

Front Exhaust mounting defective bracket fractured (6.1.2 (a))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded all fuel pipes corroded

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

Fail 13 Jul 2018 134,430 miles

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded feed to flexi hose (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle handbrake effort low (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front Exhaust mounting defective bracket fractured (6.1.2 (a))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded all fuel pipes corroded

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

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

Pass 18 Jul 2017 128,417 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)

Oil leak diff slight leak

under trays fitted

Pass 9 Jul 2016 124,098 miles

Centre Rear Fuel Pipe/s corroded front to rear brake pipes corroded

Fail 8 Jul 2016 124,091 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Additional braking device leaking oil brake caliper leakin g brake fluid (3.6.I.6) DANGEROUS

Pass 9 Jul 2015 121,481 miles

front to rear brake pipes slightly corroded

Fail 8 Jul 2015 121,478 miles

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

front to rear brake pipes slightly corroded

Pass 8 Jul 2014 119,203 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Jul 2013 114,460 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 8 Jul 2013 114,455 miles

Centre Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

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

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is excessively worn (3.1.5)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 6 Jul 2012 109,528 miles

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

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is slightly worn (3.1.5)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 6 Jul 2012 109,523 miles

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

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

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

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

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is slightly worn (3.1.5)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 6 Jul 2011 106,983 miles

Bonnet safety catch faulty

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is slightly worn (3.1.5)

Rear brake discs slightly corroded

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 5 Jul 2011 106,976 miles

Offside front brake juddering severely (3.7.A.2b)

Bonnet safety catch faulty

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is slightly worn (3.1.5)

Rear brake discs slightly corroded

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 8 Jul 2010 104,347 miles
Pass 7 Jul 2009 100,104 miles

various covers fitted

Fail 1 Jul 2009 100,101 miles

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

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

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

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

various covers fitted

Pass 4 Jul 2008 94,111 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

engine top cover fitted.

engine under cover fitted.

sill covers fitted.

Pass 7 Mar 2007 89,164 miles

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

Pass 4 Mar 2006 78,437 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 525?

Based on 724,963 MOT tests across 56,965 vehicles.

74.4%
Pass Rate
7,259
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
56,965
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 33,171
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 17,448
Brake pipe excessively corroded 16,227
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 10,065
Track rod end ball joint has excessive play 9,710
Full BMW 525 reliability report

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N5 TSB is a 2003 BMW 525 in Silver with a 2,497cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.4%.

Across all 2003 BMW 525 models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.7% with a typical mileage of 103,304 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 525 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 33,171 recorded failures. If you're considering buying N5 TSB, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 525 typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 23 years old, this BMW 525 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of N5 TSB?

You can check the full history of N5 TSB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N5 TSB registered?

N5 TSB is a 2003 BMW 525, first registered on 4 March 2003.

Is N5 TSB safe to buy?

The MOT history for N5 TSB shows 29 tests with a 72.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N5 TSB 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 N5 TSB. 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.