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P178 ADD

1997 BMW 520

Black Petrol 1991cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires10 Aug 2020
Tests23 (14 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate60.9%

Mileage

170,782 mi
Last recorded170,782 miles
Recorded on3 Aug 2019
Typical for 1997 BMW 520121,946 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationP178 ADD
MakeBMW
Model520
Year1997
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,991cc

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

14 pass 9 fail
Pass 3 Aug 2019 170,782 miles

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

engine covers & under trays fitted

Pass 31 Jul 2018 169,997 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2017 169,749 miles

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

Fail 28 Jul 2017 169,749 miles

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

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

Pass 11 Aug 2016 169,688 miles

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

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

Fail 11 Aug 2016 169,688 miles

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

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

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

Pass 15 May 2015 164,522 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside rear tyre has radail cuts

Fail 12 May 2015 164,520 miles

Nearside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Power steering component(s) leaking from a failed seal (2.3.3b)

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Sub-frame rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Sub-frame rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside rear tyre has radail cuts

Pass 28 May 2014 161,139 miles

Rear Sub-frame has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Fail 28 May 2014 161,137 miles

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

Rear Sub-frame has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 10 May 2013 156,229 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

fuel pipes rusty

Fail 7 May 2013 156,228 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

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

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

fuel pipes rusty

Pass 16 May 2012 151,805 miles

Oil leak

Slight oil leak from the differential

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 14 May 2012 151,804 miles

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Slight oil leak from the differential

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 9 May 2011 146,737 miles

Bonnet safety catch sticking

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside and offside rear tyres cracking

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

Offside front anti roll bar link dust cover split

Offside front tyre worn on edge

Slight play in nearside and offside steering arms

Pass 9 May 2011 146,737 miles

Bonnet safety catch sticking

Nearside and offside rear tyres cracking

Offside front anti roll bar link dust cover split

Offside front tyre worn on edge

Slight play in nearside and offside steering arms

Pass 21 May 2010 138,069 miles

Fuel pipes corroding

Nail in nearside front tyre

Nail nearside rear tyre

Slight play in nearside steering arm

Pass 21 May 2009 134,488 miles
Fail 21 May 2009 134,488 miles

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

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 28 May 2008 131,584 miles
Fail 23 May 2008 131,584 miles

Emissions not tested (7.0)

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

Nail in nearside front tyre

Pass 24 May 2007 125,902 miles
Pass 17 May 2006 121,735 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 520?

Based on 1,661,806 MOT tests across 152,584 vehicles.

78.5%
Pass Rate
7,968
Miles/Year
35
Year Lifespan
152,584
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 47,121
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 22,647
Brake pipe excessively corroded 16,724
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 15,884
Track rod end ball joint has excessive play 14,720
Full BMW 520 reliability report

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P178 ADD is a 1997 BMW 520 in Black with a 1,991cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60.9%.

Across all 1997 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.6% with a typical mileage of 121,946 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 520 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 47,121 recorded failures. If you're considering buying P178 ADD, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 520 typically stays on UK roads for around 35 years. At 29 years old, this BMW 520 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of P178 ADD?

You can check the full history of P178 ADD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P178 ADD registered?

P178 ADD is a 1997 BMW 520, first registered on 29 May 1997.

Is P178 ADD safe to buy?

The MOT history for P178 ADD shows 23 tests with a 60.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P178 ADD 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 P178 ADD. 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.