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P156 GDA

1997 BMW 523

White Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires15 Jul 2011
Tests11 (5 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate45.5%

Mileage

187,228 mi
Last recorded187,228 miles
Recorded on23 Jun 2011
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP156 GDA
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourWhite
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

5 pass 6 fail
Fail 23 Jun 2011 187,228 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Nearside Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

air bag light on

both sides lower arm bushes worn ,forward arms

diff bearing noise

engine oil leak

exhaust blowing slightly

front number plate cracked

pedal rubbers worn

propshaft rubber insulator deteriated

Fail 22 Jun 2011 187,202 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Nail in offside rear tyre

Oil leak

Pass 13 Jul 2010 181,394 miles

damage to both outer sills

damage to nsf wing

slight corrosion to ns fuel pipes

Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

air bag & warning light on

both front anti roll bar upper joint covers damaged

both front shock absorber dust covers perished

clutch pedal anti slip worn

slight deterioration of front number plate

slight distortion to osf anti roll bar d bush clamp

slight play in osf rack end

Fail 12 Jul 2010 181,382 miles

Centre Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade missing (8.2.2)

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Windscreen wiper not operating over a large enough area to give an adequate view (8.2.1c)

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

Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

air bag & warning light on

both front anti roll bar upper joint covers damaged

both front shock absorber dust covers perished

clutch pedal anti slip worn

damage to both outer sills

damage to nsf wing

slight corrosion to ns fuel pipes

slight deterioration of front number plate

slight distortion to osf anti roll bar d bush clamp

slight play in osf rack end

Pass 30 Jun 2009 178,999 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm worn but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Fail 29 Jun 2009 178,997 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm worn but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Pass 16 Jul 2008 178,006 miles
Fail 10 Jul 2008 177,974 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Upper Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 16 Jul 2007 176,868 miles
Pass 10 Jul 2006 175,793 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2006 175,782 miles

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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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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.

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P156 GDA is a 1997 BMW 523 in White with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 11 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 45.5%.

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 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 P156 GDA, 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 P156 GDA?

You can check the full history of P156 GDA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P156 GDA registered?

P156 GDA is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 9 May 1997.

Is P156 GDA safe to buy?

The MOT history for P156 GDA shows 11 tests with a 45.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P156 GDA 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 P156 GDA. 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.