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R289 ECX

1998 BMW 523

Blue Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Oct 2026
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

148,631 mi
Last recorded148,631 miles
Recorded on31 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW 523117,395 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

RegistrationR289 ECX
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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 31 Oct 2025 148,631 miles
Fail 31 Oct 2025 148,631 miles

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

Pass 14 Oct 2024 144,930 miles
Fail 7 Oct 2024 144,925 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Oct 2023 142,218 miles

Fuel Pipe/s corroded ()

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 6 Oct 2023 142,218 miles

Front Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

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

Fuel Pipe/s corroded ()

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Oct 2022 139,408 miles

Nearside Front brake disc back plate insecure

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Sep 2021 134,810 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 22 Sep 2021 134,809 miles

Boot lid cannot be secured in the closed position (6.2.1 (e))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

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

Front brake discs back plates insecure

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Sep 2020 132,294 miles

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

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Inner Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Fail 28 Sep 2020 132,294 miles

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

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Rear Inner Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 8 Oct 2019 130,266 miles

Front Side repeater slightly discoloured both sides (4.4.3 (a))

Front brake discs back plates partially insecure

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured both sides (4.4.3 (a))

Fail 5 Oct 2019 130,265 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Side repeater slightly discoloured both sides (4.4.3 (a))

Front brake discs back plates partially insecure

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured both sides (4.4.3 (a))

Pass 10 Sep 2018 126,934 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 7 Sep 2017 122,995 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2017 122,992 miles

Front registration plate displaying a honeycomb or similar effect background (6.3.3)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Rear registration plate displaying a honeycomb or similar effect background (6.3.3)

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

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

Pass 12 Sep 2016 119,574 miles
Pass 9 Sep 2015 115,975 miles

Front Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush both thrust arms (2.4.G.2)

slight wear both sides rear suspension bushes

Fail 8 Sep 2015 115,941 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (rear) (2.4.G.2)

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

Front Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush both thrust arms (2.4.G.2)

Pass 2 Sep 2014 110,840 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 16 Sep 2013 105,307 miles

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

Fail 9 Sep 2013 105,307 miles

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

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

Pass 7 Sep 2012 104,227 miles

airbag fault lamp on

both rear link-bars have slight wear/play

n/s front inner door handle slightly loose/floppy

n/s rear and both front tyres wearing low

stonechips on windscreen

Pass 2 Sep 2011 98,768 miles
Pass 11 Aug 2010 94,809 miles
Pass 18 Aug 2009 91,696 miles
Pass 9 Sep 2008 86,127 miles

Nearside Front front brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.2b)

Offside Front front brake grabbing slightly (3.7.A.2b)

number plates held on with elastic bands

Pass 10 Sep 2007 80,206 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2006 74,890 miles

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)

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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R289 ECX is a 1998 BMW 523 in Blue with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 R289 ECX, 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 R289 ECX?

You can check the full history of R289 ECX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R289 ECX registered?

R289 ECX is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 1 May 1998.

Is R289 ECX safe to buy?

The MOT history for R289 ECX shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R289 ECX 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 R289 ECX. 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.