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R489 VRH

1998 BMW 520

Silver Petrol 1991cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires1 Nov 2021
Tests11 (6 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate54.5%

Mileage

293,621 mi
Last recorded293,621 miles
Recorded on28 Oct 2021
Typical for 1998 BMW 520121,173 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR489 VRH
MakeBMW
Model520
Year1998
ColourSilver
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

6 pass 5 fail
Fail 28 Oct 2021 293,621 miles

Nearside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (4.1.4 (b))

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

Offside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Pass 21 Oct 2020 285,143 miles
Pass 17 Apr 2019 282,092 miles

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

Pass 2 May 2018 278,850 miles

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

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Fail 1 May 2018 278,850 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 25 Apr 2017 271,921 miles

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

Fail 24 Apr 2017 271,921 miles

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has an excessively worn linkage cracked (2.7.4)

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

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)

Engine oil low

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

Pass 11 Apr 2016 263,472 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Fail 9 Apr 2016 263,472 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim so that beam "kick up" is not visible on the screen (1.8.B.1)

Offside Front Headlamp aim so that beam "kick up" is not visible on the screen (1.8.B.1)

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

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt rear (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Pass 15 Apr 2015 258,966 miles

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

front disc slightly worn

rear disc slightly worn

Fail 10 Apr 2015 258,966 miles

Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Rear Brake hose twisted (3.6.B.4c)

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

front disc slightly worn

rear disc slightly worn

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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R489 VRH is a 1998 BMW 520 in Silver with a 1,991cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 11 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 54.5%.

Across all 1998 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.2% with a typical mileage of 121,173 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 R489 VRH, 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 28 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 R489 VRH?

You can check the full history of R489 VRH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R489 VRH registered?

R489 VRH is a 1998 BMW 520, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R489 VRH safe to buy?

The MOT history for R489 VRH shows 11 tests with a 54.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R489 VRH 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 R489 VRH. 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.