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P118 ENU

1997 BMW 523

Red Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires3 Apr 2026
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

82,477 mi
Last recorded82,477 miles
Recorded on21 Apr 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationP118 ENU
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourRed
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

20 pass 7 fail
Fail 21 Apr 2026 82,477 miles

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear pipe 1 (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear pipe 2 (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive door sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Apr 2025 82,159 miles
Pass 15 Feb 2024 80,784 miles
Pass 8 Feb 2023 73,625 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both rears wearing low (5.2.3 (e))

Underside corroding

Fail 7 Feb 2023 73,616 miles

Fuel pipe leaking From tank to fuel filter (6.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both rears wearing low (5.2.3 (e))

Underside corroding

Pass 4 Feb 2022 63,119 miles

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 20 Jan 2022 63,003 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 15 Feb 2021 55,066 miles

Nearside Front Lower Window damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 21 Jan 2020 50,442 miles
Fail 15 Jan 2020 50,291 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Rearmost arm (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Rearmost arm (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Jan 2019 40,924 miles
Fail 24 Jan 2019 40,924 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

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

offside and nearside rear suspension lower outer joint dust covers split.

Pass 24 Jan 2018 30,543 miles

Front to rear metal fuel pipes slightly corroded

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm synthetic bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm synthetic bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 24 Jan 2018 30,543 miles

Offside 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 Lower Suspension arm synthetic bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm synthetic bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 29 Dec 2016 25,585 miles

Front Fuel pipe slightly damaged to rear fuel pipes corroded (7.2.2)

Front steering has slight oil leak

Nearside Front lower sill staring to corrode

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

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

Pass 30 Dec 2015 24,960 miles
Pass 22 Dec 2014 24,502 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 27 Dec 2013 23,925 miles

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Pass 27 Dec 2012 23,100 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Nail in nearside rear tyre

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 22 Dec 2011 22,084 miles

BOTH REAR LOWER WISH BONE BALL JOINT GAITERS SPLIT

Pass 29 Dec 2010 21,280 miles
Pass 29 Dec 2009 20,490 miles

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

Pass 23 Dec 2008 19,444 miles
Pass 18 Dec 2007 18,429 miles
Fail 18 Dec 2007 18,429 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 18 Dec 2006 17,311 miles

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

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

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

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

all four tyres perrishing.

Pass 9 Dec 2005 16,268 miles

ns front tyre wearing slightly on outer edge

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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P118 ENU is a 1997 BMW 523 in Red with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 P118 ENU, 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 P118 ENU?

You can check the full history of P118 ENU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P118 ENU registered?

P118 ENU is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 2 January 1997.

Is P118 ENU safe to buy?

The MOT history for P118 ENU shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P118 ENU 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 P118 ENU. 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.