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R541 VFP

1998 BMW 523

Green Petrol 2993cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Oct 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

116,491 mi
Last recorded116,491 miles
Recorded on15 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW 523117,395 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

RegistrationR541 VFP
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1998
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,993cc

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

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 15 Oct 2025 116,491 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Oct 2024 108,350 miles

both outer sills corroded

Fail 18 Oct 2024 108,350 miles

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

both outer sills corroded

Pass 28 Jun 2023 107,441 miles

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

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Fail 28 Jun 2023 107,438 miles

Nearside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 7 Jul 2022 105,861 miles

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

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 6 Jul 2021 104,292 miles

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 16 Jul 2020 103,093 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Fail 16 Jul 2020 103,093 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Pass 27 Jun 2019 101,071 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Pass 12 Jul 2018 99,087 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

oil leak

Pass 27 Jun 2017 96,444 miles

Offside Front Lower Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Oil leak ()

offside rear & nearside rear tyre worn on inner edge

Pass 22 Jul 2016 94,442 miles

Offside Front Lower Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

nearside rear & offside rear tyre worn on inner edge

Fail 5 Jul 2016 94,217 miles

Nearside Rear Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (2.4.A.3)

Pass 21 Jul 2015 91,878 miles

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 11 Jul 2014 89,108 miles

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Pass 17 Jul 2013 86,580 miles
Fail 17 Jul 2013 86,580 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Pass 18 Jul 2012 83,732 miles
Fail 18 Jul 2012 83,732 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Jul 2011 80,285 miles

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

Pass 15 Jul 2010 77,448 miles

drivers mirror slightly deteriorated

Fail 15 Jul 2010 77,448 miles

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

drivers mirror slightly deteriorated

Pass 13 Jul 2009 73,714 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2008 69,369 miles
Pass 27 Jun 2007 64,987 miles
Pass 13 Jul 2006 61,068 miles
Fail 22 Jun 2006 61,012 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

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

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

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

unable to check inner brake pads

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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R541 VFP is a 1998 BMW 523 in Green with a 2,993cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 R541 VFP, 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 R541 VFP?

You can check the full history of R541 VFP by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R541 VFP registered?

R541 VFP is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 20 April 1998.

Is R541 VFP safe to buy?

The MOT history for R541 VFP shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R541 VFP 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 R541 VFP. 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.