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R163 ARO

1997 BMW 520

Purple Petrol 1991cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 May 2011
Tests10 (4 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate40%

Mileage

195,238 mi
Last recorded195,238 miles
Recorded on21 May 2010
Typical for 1997 BMW 520121,946 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR163 ARO
MakeBMW
Model520
Year1997
ColourPurple
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

4 pass 6 fail
Fail 21 May 2010 195,238 miles

N/s handbrake slightly weak

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

Power steering slightly stiff

Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone 'A' (8.3.1e)

Pass 21 May 2010 195,238 miles

N/s handbrake slightly weak

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

Power steering slightly stiff

Fail 15 May 2010 195,147 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)

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

Fail 29 Apr 2010 195,097 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate (3.4.1b)

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp sequence is incorrect (3.4.1d)

Brake pedal creeps down while the pedal is held under pressure (3.3.B.1a)

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

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

Exhaust emits excessive dense blue smoke during acceleration (7.3.A.2c)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

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

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

baby seat fitted nearside rear

chips in zones a and b

front number plate

offside front bumper damage

slight play in both front lower arm front bushes

Pass 22 Apr 2009 187,717 miles

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

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

Fail 21 Apr 2009 187,717 miles

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

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

Offside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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

Fail 23 Mar 2009 187,281 miles

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

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 Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Nearside Front Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated synthetic bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not in a clean condition but not affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Offside Front Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated synthetic bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Oil leak

slight play in steering rack at n/s

Pass 14 Apr 2008 182,513 miles
Pass 29 Nov 2006 172,789 miles
Fail 18 Nov 2006 172,789 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

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

Nearside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

Offside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

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

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

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

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

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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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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R163 ARO is a 1997 BMW 520 in Purple with a 1,991cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 10 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 40%.

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 R163 ARO, 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 R163 ARO?

You can check the full history of R163 ARO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R163 ARO registered?

R163 ARO is a 1997 BMW 520, first registered on 29 September 1997.

Is R163 ARO safe to buy?

The MOT history for R163 ARO shows 10 tests with a 40% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R163 ARO 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 R163 ARO. 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.