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R48 LTA

1998 BMW 520

Blue Petrol 1991cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Mar 2027
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

123,238 mi
Last recorded123,238 miles
Recorded on5 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW 520121,173 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR48 LTA
MakeBMW
Model520
Year1998
ColourBlue
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

21 pass 7 fail
Pass 5 Mar 2026 123,238 miles
Fail 4 Mar 2026 123,238 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Pass 27 Feb 2025 116,441 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 27 Feb 2024 109,603 miles

Nearside Front Outer Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Tyre worn on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 26 Feb 2024 109,601 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn Ball joint dust cover also excessively deteriorated (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Tyre worn on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 8 Mar 2023 103,868 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 8 Mar 2023 103,868 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Feb 2022 96,672 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Mar 2021 94,663 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 9 Mar 2020 94,477 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 8 Mar 2019 93,437 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Under shields fitted to vehicle obscuring some under body components

Pass 14 Mar 2018 92,334 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Under shields fitted to vehicle obscuring some under body components

Fail 14 Mar 2018 92,334 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Under shields fitted to vehicle obscuring some under body components

Pass 6 Mar 2017 91,651 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Under trays fitted to vehicle obscuring some under body components

Pass 8 Mar 2016 91,199 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2015 90,833 miles

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 3 Mar 2015 90,833 miles

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Signs of large oil leak, undertray wet with oil

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 5 Mar 2014 90,412 miles

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

Small pin prick hole in o/s/r upper ball joint rubber.

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 5 Mar 2014 90,412 miles

Nearside Rear rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Small pin prick hole in o/s/r upper ball joint rubber.

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 5 Mar 2013 89,331 miles

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

Pass 15 Feb 2012 87,274 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

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

parking brake effort on n/s low

Pass 25 Feb 2011 84,945 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Feb 2010 81,220 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2009 79,094 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2008 75,469 miles
Fail 29 Feb 2008 75,457 miles

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)

Pass 6 Mar 2007 71,318 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2006 66,686 miles

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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R48 LTA is a 1998 BMW 520 in Blue with a 1,991cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 R48 LTA, 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 R48 LTA?

You can check the full history of R48 LTA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R48 LTA registered?

R48 LTA is a 1998 BMW 520, first registered on 30 March 1998.

Is R48 LTA safe to buy?

The MOT history for R48 LTA shows 28 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R48 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 R48 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.