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P343 UCL

1997 BMW 523

Blue Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 May 2026
Tests26 (17 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate65.4%

Mileage

89,261 mi
Last recorded89,261 miles
Recorded on21 May 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationP343 UCL
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourBlue
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

17 pass 9 fail
Pass 21 May 2025 89,261 miles

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 2 Mar 2023 89,062 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play Rack end (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play Rack end (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Fail 22 Dec 2022 89,051 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play Steering rack end ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Inner bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play Steering rack end ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Pass 24 Sep 2021 84,017 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 24 Sep 2021 84,012 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 18 Sep 2020 76,950 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 18 Sep 2020 76,950 miles

Offside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 27 Sep 2019 71,785 miles
Fail 24 Sep 2019 71,783 miles

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 6 Mar 2018 70,390 miles

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

Pass 25 Jan 2017 62,419 miles
Pass 4 Feb 2016 60,057 miles

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

Fail 3 Feb 2016 60,030 miles

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

N/S/F TYRE BALD OUTER EDGE JUST LEGAL

O/S/F TYRE LOW OUTER EDGE JUST LEGAL

O/S/R TYRE BALD INNER EDGE JUST LEGAL

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

Pass 29 Jan 2015 55,803 miles

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

front tyres wearing thin on outer edge of tread

rear tyres wearing thin on inner edge of tread

Pass 4 Feb 2014 52,142 miles

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

Pass 24 Jan 2013 47,031 miles
Fail 23 Jan 2012 42,589 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 23 Jan 2012 42,589 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 21 Jan 2011 38,681 miles
Fail 21 Jan 2011 38,680 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

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

Pass 20 Jan 2010 35,482 miles

O/S/R coil spring has been fouling the arch liner, needs further investigation

Pass 14 Jan 2009 35,174 miles

o/s headlight reflector vibrates and slightly loose

Pass 16 Jan 2008 34,778 miles

offside rear suspension coil spring corroded slightly

Pass 18 Jan 2007 34,419 miles
Fail 17 Jan 2007 34,408 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Jan 2006 33,652 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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P343 UCL is a 1997 BMW 523 in Blue with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.4%.

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 P343 UCL, 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 P343 UCL?

You can check the full history of P343 UCL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P343 UCL registered?

P343 UCL is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is P343 UCL safe to buy?

The MOT history for P343 UCL shows 26 tests with a 65.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P343 UCL 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 P343 UCL. 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.