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P172 PLR

1997 BMW 523

Green Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires7 Apr 2024
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

186,971 mi
Last recorded186,971 miles
Recorded on25 Mar 2023
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

RegistrationP172 PLR
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourGreen
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 25 Mar 2023 186,971 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Oil leak, but not excessive various (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Oil leak, but not excessive axel (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 29 Mar 2022 184,075 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing between treads (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive rear diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

under trays and covers fitted unable to access all testable items

Fail 29 Mar 2022 184,075 miles

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing between treads (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive rear diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

under trays and covers fitted unable to access all testable items

Pass 30 Mar 2021 181,047 miles

Front Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

rear diff has slightly leak

Fail 30 Mar 2021 181,047 miles

Front Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

rear diff has slightly leak

Pass 8 Apr 2020 178,785 miles

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

Rear diff has slight leak

Pass 23 Oct 2018 170,966 miles
Fail 23 Oct 2018 170,966 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar damaged and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 4 Oct 2017 166,360 miles
Fail 4 Oct 2017 166,360 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 4 Apr 2017 163,742 miles
Fail 4 Apr 2017 163,742 miles

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

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

Offside Front Brake hose modified and seriously weakened pipe and hose joint insecure (3.6.A.3)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 5 Apr 2016 157,995 miles
Fail 5 Apr 2016 157,995 miles

Anti-roll bar damaged and seriously weakened both split (2.4.G.1)

Brake hose excessively deteriorated both front and o\s\r flex horse split (3.6.B.4d)

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

Pass 16 Apr 2015 153,534 miles

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

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

Pass 17 Apr 2014 146,745 miles

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

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

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

metal fuel pipes slighty corroded

Pass 17 Apr 2013 141,631 miles
Pass 25 Apr 2012 137,378 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2011 132,351 miles

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)

Fail 14 Apr 2011 132,324 miles

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

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)

Pass 27 Apr 2010 126,634 miles

slight play in rear suspension joints

Fail 27 Apr 2010 126,634 miles

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

slight play in rear suspension joints

Pass 14 Apr 2009 115,237 miles
Pass 29 Apr 2008 108,850 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2007 98,794 miles
Fail 19 Apr 2007 98,794 miles

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

Pass 26 Apr 2006 89,519 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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P172 PLR is a 1997 BMW 523 in Green with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 P172 PLR, 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 P172 PLR?

You can check the full history of P172 PLR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P172 PLR registered?

P172 PLR is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 2 May 1997.

Is P172 PLR safe to buy?

The MOT history for P172 PLR shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P172 PLR 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 P172 PLR. 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.