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R349 ARD

1998 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires12 Feb 2019
Tests19 (13 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate68.4%

Mileage

188,748 mi
Last recorded188,748 miles
Recorded on19 Feb 2019
Typical for 1998 BMW 523117,395 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR349 ARD
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1998
ColourSilver
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

13 pass 6 fail
Fail 19 Feb 2019 188,748 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner and outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded x2 along fuel tank (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded Above subframe (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Outer Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Both front headlights deteriorated but not reducing light output

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

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Fuel tank straps corroded

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

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material in plastic clip (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Tyre worn uneven

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

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

Undertrays fitted to vehicle obscuring the view of some components

Vehicle fitted with plastic sill covers

Pass 1 Feb 2018 181,704 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded Front to rear at rear fuel tank area (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Inner sill panel area (5.2.6)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner sill panel area (5.2.6)

Pass 1 Feb 2017 173,764 miles

covers and shields fitted

Fail 30 Jan 2017 173,764 miles

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

covers and shields fitted

Pass 2 Feb 2016 167,038 miles

Nearside Rear Radius arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 1 Feb 2016 167,038 miles

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

Nearside Rear Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

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 Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Nearside Rear Radius arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Pass 9 Feb 2015 159,288 miles

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

both front tyres wearing inner treads

offside and nearside outer sill panels rusting at rear

offside rear floor rusting

Fail 9 Feb 2015 159,288 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

both front tyres wearing inner treads

offside and nearside outer sill panels rusting at rear

offside rear floor rusting

Pass 13 Feb 2014 149,779 miles

Items removed from driver's view prior to test

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

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

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

centre brake light not working

multiple points of corrosion on structure suspension and components

slight oil leak

warning light on

wipers starting to streak

Pass 5 Feb 2013 140,543 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 9 Feb 2012 131,419 miles

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

Pass 9 Feb 2011 121,755 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Fail 9 Feb 2011 121,755 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

offside rear road spring not seat properly

Pass 27 Jan 2010 112,036 miles

near side front seat missing for repair and so air bag light is on

Pass 9 Feb 2009 100,857 miles
Pass 21 Jan 2008 91,278 miles
Pass 12 Jan 2007 82,470 miles
Fail 11 Jan 2007 82,470 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

washer jets partly blocked. †spare tyre worn.

Pass 23 Jan 2006 71,793 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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R349 ARD is a 1998 BMW 523 in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.4%.

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 R349 ARD, 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 R349 ARD?

You can check the full history of R349 ARD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R349 ARD registered?

R349 ARD is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 2 February 1998.

Is R349 ARD safe to buy?

The MOT history for R349 ARD shows 19 tests with a 68.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R349 ARD 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 R349 ARD. 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.