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R173 WDV

1998 BMW 523

Blue Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires27 Jul 2021
Tests23 (15 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate65.2%

Mileage

237,071 mi
Last recorded237,071 miles
Recorded on28 Jul 2020
Typical for 1998 BMW 523117,395 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR173 WDV
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1998
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

15 pass 8 fail
Pass 28 Jul 2020 237,071 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2019 225,850 miles

Nearside Rear Outer Brake cable damaged but not to excess (1.1.15 (a))

Rear Rust around rear jacking points

Pass 10 May 2018 220,710 miles

Oil leak ()

Rear fuel lines light corrosion

fuel tank straps corroded

rear wheel arches light corrosion

Pass 14 Jun 2017 214,568 miles

Oil leak ()

Fail 13 Jun 2017 214,566 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 225/55 zr16 (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 20 Jun 2016 207,360 miles

both rear inner sills rusty

oil leak from diff

oil leak from gear box

Fail 16 Jun 2016 207,360 miles

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

both rear inner sills rusty

oil leak from diff

oil leak from gear box

Pass 19 Jun 2015 198,947 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Slight corrosion to both rear inner sills.

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

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

Fail 19 Jun 2015 198,947 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

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

Nearside Rear passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1c)

Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Slight corrosion to both rear inner sills.

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

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

Pass 20 Jun 2014 191,109 miles

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

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Slight corrosion to metal fuel pipes.

Slight play in o/s/r antirol bar link.

n/s/r tyre worn on inner edge.

Fail 30 May 2014 191,059 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Slight corrosion to metel fuel pipes.

Slight play in o/s/r antirol bar link.

n/s/r tyre worn on inner edge.

Pass 30 May 2013 184,216 miles

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

Offside Rear Upper Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

n/s/rear bottem ball joint slight play.

Pass 1 Jun 2012 173,379 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (1.7.5a)

Pass 26 May 2011 156,121 miles
Fail 23 May 2011 156,107 miles

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

Fail 11 May 2011 155,992 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)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Pass 27 Apr 2010 147,653 miles
Fail 27 Apr 2010 147,653 miles

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

Fail 16 Apr 2010 147,610 miles

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1a)

Pass 6 Mar 2009 141,304 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2008 134,783 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)

Pass 2 Mar 2007 126,933 miles
Pass 8 Feb 2006 115,143 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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R173 WDV is a 1998 BMW 523 in Blue with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.2%.

Across all 1998 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.9% with a typical mileage of 117,395 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 R173 WDV, 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 28 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 R173 WDV?

You can check the full history of R173 WDV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R173 WDV registered?

R173 WDV is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 8 April 1998.

Is R173 WDV safe to buy?

The MOT history for R173 WDV shows 23 tests with a 65.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R173 WDV 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 R173 WDV. 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.