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R997 TRH

1997 BMW 523

White Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Feb 2027
Tests11 (5 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate45.5%

Mileage

164,510 mi
Last recorded164,510 miles
Recorded on4 Feb 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW 523121,619 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

RegistrationR997 TRH
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1997
ColourWhite
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

5 pass 6 fail
Pass 4 Feb 2026 164,510 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 23 Jan 2026 164,500 miles

Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault (7.12 (e))

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

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (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 Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 14 Sep 2022 164,393 miles

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

Nearside Rear Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Offside Rear Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

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 17 Feb 2020 163,494 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Fail 11 Feb 2020 163,494 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Mar 2008 130,350 miles
Fail 31 Jan 2008 130,350 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 22 Dec 2007 130,333 miles

Nearside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

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

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

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

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

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

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

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 6 Nov 2006 122,460 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

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

Pass 6 Nov 2006 122,460 miles
Pass 11 Nov 2005 111,814 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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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.

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R997 TRH is a 1997 BMW 523 in White with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 11 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 45.5%.

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 R997 TRH, 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 R997 TRH?

You can check the full history of R997 TRH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R997 TRH registered?

R997 TRH is a 1997 BMW 523, first registered on 28 October 1997.

Is R997 TRH safe to buy?

The MOT history for R997 TRH shows 11 tests with a 45.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R997 TRH 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 R997 TRH. 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.