CarVerify

Free Car Check

P178 PLP

1996 BMW 523

Black Petrol 2494cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires23 Mar 2011
Tests10 (5 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate50%

Mileage

136,652 mi
Last recorded136,652 miles
Recorded on24 Mar 2010
Typical for 1996 BMW 523123,198 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationP178 PLP
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1996
ColourBlack
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 5 fail
Pass 24 Mar 2010 136,652 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

air bag light on

Fail 2 Mar 2010 136,256 miles

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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)

Oil leak

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

airbag light on

n/s/f pad warning wire broken

Pass 20 Mar 2009 124,805 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

air bag light on

Pass 18 Mar 2008 120,158 miles

Spare tyre defective

Fail 15 Mar 2008 120,158 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Pass 9 Mar 2007 114,445 miles
Fail 6 Mar 2007 114,445 miles

Bootlid cannot be secured in the closed position (6.4.1)

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

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

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking from a joint (2.3.3b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Fail 5 Mar 2007 114,433 miles

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

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

Exhaust engine idle speed too high (7.3.D.1)

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

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

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

Offside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 8 Feb 2006 108,389 miles
Fail 7 Feb 2006 108,389 miles

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

P178 PLP is a 1996 BMW 523 in Black with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 10 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 50%.

Across all 1996 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.0% with a typical mileage of 123,198 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 P178 PLP, 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 30 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 P178 PLP?

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

What year was P178 PLP registered?

P178 PLP is a 1996 BMW 523, first registered on 19 November 1996.

Is P178 PLP safe to buy?

The MOT history for P178 PLP shows 10 tests with a 50% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P178 PLP 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 PLP. 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.