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P138 PRW

1997 BMW 523

Purple Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires6 Oct 2018
Tests15 (12 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

174,843 mi
Last recorded174,843 miles
Recorded on27 Sep 2017
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationP138 PRW
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourPurple
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

12 pass 3 fail
Pass 27 Sep 2017 174,843 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Lower Body has slight corrosion sill (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Rear Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.2b)

Offside Rear Lower Body has slight corrosion sill (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 7 Oct 2016 171,255 miles

Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Nearside Front Outer Tyre cracking

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre cracking

Offside Front Outer Tyre cracking

Offside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Fail 7 Oct 2016 171,255 miles

Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

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

Nearside Front Outer Tyre cracking

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre cracking

Offside Front Outer Tyre cracking

Offside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Pass 23 Apr 2015 166,607 miles

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

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

Fail 22 Apr 2015 166,605 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 28 Jan 2014 164,092 miles

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

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

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

Pass 15 Jan 2013 161,484 miles
Pass 20 Dec 2011 158,746 miles
Pass 8 Sep 2010 155,795 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2009 149,190 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2008 141,857 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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 Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 10 Aug 2007 134,726 miles
Fail 7 Aug 2007 134,723 miles

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

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

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

air bag light on

Pass 30 Nov 2006 133,473 miles
Pass 5 Nov 2005 131,499 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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P138 PRW is a 1997 BMW 523 in Purple with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 15 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 P138 PRW, 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 P138 PRW?

You can check the full history of P138 PRW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P138 PRW registered?

P138 PRW is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 5 February 1997.

Is P138 PRW safe to buy?

The MOT history for P138 PRW shows 15 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P138 PRW 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 P138 PRW. 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.