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R38 LTA

1998 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires3 Mar 2023
Tests24 (17 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate70.8%

Mileage

132,553 mi
Last recorded132,553 miles
Recorded on4 Mar 2022
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

RegistrationR38 LTA
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

17 pass 7 fail
Pass 4 Mar 2022 132,553 miles
Pass 24 Jul 2020 130,681 miles

Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated both sides (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area damaged but not considered excessive both sides inner sills (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 23 May 2019 127,755 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 17 May 2019 127,747 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn marked yellow (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases cat (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

rear seats folded down

Pass 21 May 2018 121,956 miles

Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sills both sides (2.4.A.3)

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

Fail 15 May 2018 121,945 miles

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

Offside Rear Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded front to back beside fuel tank (3.6.B.2c)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sills both sides (2.4.A.3)

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

Pass 18 May 2017 118,838 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 20 May 2016 109,834 miles
Fail 16 May 2016 109,787 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

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

Pass 21 May 2015 98,455 miles
Pass 17 Jun 2014 91,344 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

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

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

front tyres wearing on edges

Fail 12 Jun 2014 91,203 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

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

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

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

front tyres wearing on edges

Pass 18 Jun 2013 82,266 miles

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

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

Fail 17 Jun 2013 82,266 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

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

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

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

Pass 28 Jun 2012 72,450 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2011 67,622 miles
Fail 23 Aug 2010 64,487 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 23 Aug 2010 64,487 miles
Pass 18 Aug 2009 60,862 miles
Pass 18 Aug 2008 56,736 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2007 51,111 miles
Fail 21 Aug 2007 51,111 miles

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

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

Pass 4 Sep 2006 44,570 miles
Pass 18 Jan 2006 41,694 miles

nail in tyre

o/s/front tyre worn inner.edge. † †

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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R38 LTA is a 1998 BMW 523 in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.8%.

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 R38 LTA, 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 R38 LTA?

You can check the full history of R38 LTA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R38 LTA registered?

R38 LTA is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 12 February 1998.

Is R38 LTA safe to buy?

The MOT history for R38 LTA shows 24 tests with a 70.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R38 LTA 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 R38 LTA. 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.