CarVerify

Free Car Check

RA55 XWM

2005 BMW 523

Black Petrol 2497cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 Mar 2027
Tests24 (17 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate70.8%

Mileage

119,843 mi
Last recorded119,843 miles
Recorded on16 Mar 2026
Typical for 2005 BMW 52384,459 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationRA55 XWM
MakeBMW
Model523
Year2005
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,497cc

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

17 pass 7 fail
Pass 16 Mar 2026 119,843 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

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

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

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

Pass 1 Mar 2025 118,849 miles

Front both front tyres waring on the edges and showing surface cracks

Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output both headlamps (4.1.4 (b))

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

Fail 1 Mar 2025 118,849 miles

Nearside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (4.1.4 (b))

Front both front tyres waring on the edges and showing surface cracks

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

Pass 7 Mar 2024 117,627 miles
Fail 4 Mar 2024 117,624 miles

Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt both sides anti roll bar links top dust covers (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Front Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced both headlamps cloudy (4.1.4 (b))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn front arm inner bush has play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn front arm inner bush has play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 2 Mar 2024 117,618 miles

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

Headlamp light intensity severely reduced both (4.1.4 (a))

Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn both rear lower bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both front (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 17 Feb 2023 115,736 miles

Headlamp lens slightly defective both (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 9 Mar 2022 111,182 miles

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

Fail 9 Mar 2022 111,182 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake wear indicator not fitted to brake pad

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin Almost worn to disc (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Brake pad wear indicator not fitted to brake pad

Pass 15 Dec 2020 102,111 miles

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

Offside Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Fail 14 Dec 2020 102,111 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 17 Jun 2019 98,634 miles

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

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

Pass 25 Jun 2018 93,922 miles
Pass 30 Jun 2017 89,812 miles

Brake pad(s) wearing thin both rear (3.5.1g)

Pass 27 Jul 2016 85,739 miles

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

Fail 27 Jul 2016 85,738 miles

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

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)

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

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

Pass 30 Jun 2015 81,066 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 13 Jun 2014 78,142 miles
Pass 31 May 2013 75,666 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2012 71,513 miles
Pass 9 Dec 2010 61,249 miles
Pass 16 Dec 2009 51,101 miles
Fail 15 Dec 2009 51,069 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Nov 2008 37,373 miles

Front tyres wearing low

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

RA55 XWM is a 2005 BMW 523 in Black with a 2,497cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.8%.

Across all 2005 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 77.0% with a typical mileage of 84,459 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 RA55 XWM, 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 21 years old, this BMW 523 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of RA55 XWM?

You can check the full history of RA55 XWM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was RA55 XWM registered?

RA55 XWM is a 2005 BMW 523, first registered on 12 December 2005.

Is RA55 XWM safe to buy?

The MOT history for RA55 XWM shows 24 tests with a 70.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does RA55 XWM 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 RA55 XWM. 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.