CarVerify

Free Car Check

R848 ULU

1997 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires25 Jun 2022
Tests25 (15 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

113,407 mi
Last recorded113,407 miles
Recorded on26 Jun 2021
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
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationR848 ULU
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
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

15 pass 10 fail
Pass 26 Jun 2021 113,407 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge n/s and o/s (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing inner (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 26 Jun 2021 113,407 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge n/s and o/s (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing inner (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 12 Jun 2020 111,062 miles

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 12 Jun 2020 111,061 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 24 Jun 2019 107,886 miles

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing from side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 24 Jun 2019 107,886 miles

Nearside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing from side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 12 Jun 2018 104,722 miles

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

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

Rear Brake hose slightly chafed n/s and o/s (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Pass 19 Jun 2017 101,893 miles

Oil leak ()

Fail 19 Jun 2017 101,893 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Oil leak ()

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Pass 11 Jun 2016 99,824 miles

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

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

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

Fail 11 Jun 2016 99,824 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 24 Jun 2015 98,049 miles

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated rubber bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 21 Jun 2014 95,316 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

n/s and o/s front tyres cracking from side wall

Fail 25 Jun 2013 92,275 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 25 Jun 2013 92,275 miles
Fail 27 Apr 2012 90,200 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Front Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Oil leak

Pass 27 Apr 2012 90,200 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Front Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Oil leak

Pass 14 Mar 2011 81,338 miles
Fail 9 Mar 2011 81,202 miles

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

Pass 18 Mar 2010 71,447 miles
Fail 16 Mar 2010 71,446 miles

Nearside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

Rear registration plate delaminated (6.3.1d)

Pass 3 Apr 2009 64,596 miles
Fail 3 Apr 2009 64,596 miles

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

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

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Pass 25 Feb 2008 60,528 miles
Pass 24 Jan 2007 52,934 miles

Offside Front suspension has slight movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

R848 ULU is a 1997 BMW 523 in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

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 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 R848 ULU, 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 R848 ULU?

You can check the full history of R848 ULU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R848 ULU registered?

R848 ULU is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 23 August 1997.

Is R848 ULU safe to buy?

The MOT history for R848 ULU shows 25 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R848 ULU 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 R848 ULU. 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.