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R473 JTD

1997 BMW 520

Purple Petrol 1991cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires11 Feb 2015
Tests16 (8 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate50%

Mileage

195,585 mi
Last recorded195,585 miles
Recorded on12 Feb 2014
Typical for 1997 BMW 520121,946 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR473 JTD
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

8 pass 8 fail
Pass 12 Feb 2014 195,585 miles

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

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp does not illuminate (5.4.2)

Fail 1 Feb 2014 195,484 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

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)

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

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

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

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 15 Dec 2012 184,855 miles
Fail 10 Dec 2012 184,807 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Offside Rear Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Fail 20 Nov 2012 184,783 miles

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

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

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

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

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

Pass 17 Sep 2011 177,214 miles
Fail 12 Sep 2011 177,214 miles

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

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

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 15 Jul 2010 168,911 miles
Fail 14 Jul 2010 168,911 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 18 Jun 2009 162,278 miles

Coolant leak

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

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

Fail 15 Jun 2009 162,253 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Coolant leak

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

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

Pass 13 Feb 2008 140,959 miles
Fail 12 Feb 2008 140,954 miles

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

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

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

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

Pass 9 Mar 2007 124,578 miles
Fail 8 Mar 2007 124,566 miles

Emissions not tested (7.0)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 9 Feb 2006 107,452 miles

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

air bag warning lamp staying on

nail in tyre

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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R473 JTD is a 1997 BMW 520 in Purple with a 1,991cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 16 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 50%.

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 R473 JTD, 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 R473 JTD?

You can check the full history of R473 JTD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R473 JTD registered?

R473 JTD is a 1997 BMW 520, first registered on 4 August 1997.

Is R473 JTD safe to buy?

The MOT history for R473 JTD shows 16 tests with a 50% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R473 JTD 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 R473 JTD. 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.