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S188 KYY

1998 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Nov 2026
Tests26 (17 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate65.4%

Mileage

86,798 mi
Last recorded86,798 miles
Recorded on23 Nov 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

RegistrationS188 KYY
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1998
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

17 pass 9 fail
Pass 23 Nov 2025 86,798 miles
Fail 22 Nov 2025 86,790 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring with an unsafe modification (5.3.1 (d) (i))

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

Offside Front Coil spring with an unsafe modification (5.3.1 (d) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint likely to become detached bolt improperly attached (5.3.4 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 29 Nov 2024 79,168 miles
Pass 21 Oct 2023 79,144 miles

both front shocker cover insecure

diff oil leak

Pass 31 Aug 2022 78,088 miles

Nearside Front Wing damaged

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

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

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

Fail 31 Aug 2022 78,088 miles

Nearside Front Wing damaged

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 13 Jan 2021 74,819 miles

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

Nearside Front wing damaged, but secured.

Fail 12 Jan 2021 74,818 miles

Front Brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle by more than 50% Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords damaged cracking on walls and dated week 21 - year 1997. (23 years old). (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Front wing damaged, but secured.

Pass 29 Aug 2019 71,640 miles

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

Nearside Front n/s/front wing damaged

Offside Oil leak, but not excessive oil dripping onto exhaust downpipe (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Dec 2017 69,073 miles

Nearside Front Wing damaged.

Oil leak

Fail 5 Dec 2017 69,073 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Nearside Front Wing damaged.

Oil leak

Pass 3 Jun 2016 66,865 miles

Nearside Front n/s/front tyre nail in tread and cracking.

Nearside Front n/s/front wing body damadge

Fail 31 May 2016 66,865 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated both rear brake hoses cracked. (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front n/s/front tyre nail in tread and cracking.

Nearside Front n/s/front wing body damadge

Nearside Rear Outer Rear position lamp(s) has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.1.A.3b)

Pass 21 May 2015 65,492 miles

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Fail 21 May 2015 65,492 miles

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Rear registration plate delaminated (6.3.1d)

Pass 16 May 2014 63,710 miles
Pass 28 Nov 2012 60,731 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Rear registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 28 Nov 2012 60,731 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Rear registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 14 May 2011 57,677 miles
Fail 14 May 2011 57,677 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 22 May 2010 56,736 miles

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

Fail 22 May 2009 55,956 miles

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

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

Pass 22 May 2009 55,956 miles

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

Pass 31 May 2008 55,017 miles

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

Pass 31 May 2007 51,669 miles
Pass 3 Dec 2005 48,712 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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S188 KYY is a 1998 BMW 523 in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.4%.

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 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 S188 KYY, 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 S188 KYY?

You can check the full history of S188 KYY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S188 KYY registered?

S188 KYY is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 30 September 1998.

Is S188 KYY safe to buy?

The MOT history for S188 KYY shows 26 tests with a 65.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S188 KYY 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 S188 KYY. 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.