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R497 VSE

1998 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires27 Oct 2022
Tests24 (16 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

148,938 mi
Last recorded148,938 miles
Recorded on28 Oct 2021
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

RegistrationR497 VSE
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

16 pass 8 fail
Pass 28 Oct 2021 148,938 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2020 147,181 miles
Pass 28 Oct 2019 145,828 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 10 Oct 2018 141,036 miles
Fail 9 Oct 2018 141,028 miles

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Sep 2017 137,366 miles
Fail 22 Sep 2017 137,364 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (5.2.6)

Pass 30 Sep 2016 133,926 miles

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 30 Sep 2016 133,924 miles

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

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

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 12 Oct 2015 131,031 miles
Fail 8 Oct 2015 131,031 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint rear (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

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

Pass 1 Oct 2014 126,760 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Fail 25 Sep 2014 126,758 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

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

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

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Pass 2 Oct 2013 117,364 miles

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

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

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

Pass 14 Sep 2012 112,277 miles

offside rear spring corroded

Pass 3 Oct 2011 106,860 miles

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 30 Sep 2010 100,192 miles

all 4 brake discs worn

Fail 27 Sep 2010 100,192 miles

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

all 4 brake discs worn

Pass 8 Sep 2009 95,877 miles
Fail 8 Sep 2009 95,875 miles

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

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)

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

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

Pass 16 Sep 2008 92,514 miles

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

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

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

Fail 16 Sep 2008 92,514 miles

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

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)

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

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

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

Pass 21 Sep 2007 86,261 miles

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

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

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

Pass 27 Jul 2006 76,698 miles

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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R497 VSE 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 66.7%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 R497 VSE, 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 R497 VSE?

You can check the full history of R497 VSE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R497 VSE registered?

R497 VSE is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 3 June 1998.

Is R497 VSE safe to buy?

The MOT history for R497 VSE shows 24 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R497 VSE 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 R497 VSE. 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.