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R626 LFJ

1997 BMW 523

Blue Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires11 Apr 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

88,705 mi
Last recorded88,705 miles
Recorded on12 Apr 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 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

RegistrationR626 LFJ
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourBlue
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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 12 Apr 2025 88,705 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Fail 4 Mar 2025 88,668 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Front Direction indicator incorrect colour both (4.4.3 (a))

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

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

Pass 5 Dec 2023 87,743 miles

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

Pass 7 Dec 2022 85,209 miles

Nearside Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 10 Dec 2021 79,937 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Fail 7 Dec 2021 79,937 miles

Central Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt upper front ball joint (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

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

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

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt upper rear arm ball joint (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn upper front arm ball joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Electrical wiring likely to drag on the ground (4.11 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Pass 15 Jan 2021 70,332 miles
Fail 30 Dec 2020 70,332 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate (1.6 (a))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

Auxiliary belt cracked

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 20 Aug 2019 63,729 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 6 Sep 2018 57,203 miles
Pass 6 Sep 2017 47,574 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2016 40,985 miles
Pass 29 Aug 2015 39,020 miles

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

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

Fail 25 Jul 2015 38,946 miles

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)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Pass 6 Jul 2014 37,573 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

Items removed from driver's view prior to test

Pass 17 May 2013 34,742 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2012 34,167 miles

o/s/r lamp lens repaired with lens tape.

Fail 28 Aug 2012 34,167 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Offside Stop lamp emits other than a steady red light (1.2.1e)

o/s/r lamp lens repaired with lens tape.

Pass 9 Aug 2011 32,600 miles
Fail 9 Aug 2011 32,600 miles

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 5 Aug 2010 31,038 miles

air bag warning lamp illuminated.

n/s mirror cracked.

Pass 30 Jul 2009 24,466 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2008 21,680 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2007 18,606 miles
Pass 24 Jul 2006 18,475 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)

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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R626 LFJ is a 1997 BMW 523 in Blue with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

Across all 1997 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.1% with a typical mileage of 121,619 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 R626 LFJ, 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 29 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 R626 LFJ?

You can check the full history of R626 LFJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R626 LFJ registered?

R626 LFJ is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 9 August 1997.

Is R626 LFJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for R626 LFJ shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R626 LFJ 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 R626 LFJ. 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.