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S197 BPM

1998 BMW 523

Green Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires10 Jul 2017
Tests14 (11 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate78.6%

Mileage

166,100 mi
Last recorded166,100 miles
Recorded on9 Jul 2016
Typical for 1998 BMW 523117,395 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationS197 BPM
MakeBMW
Model523
Year1998
ColourGreen
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

11 pass 3 fail
Pass 9 Jul 2016 166,100 miles

Front Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint both sides (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

oil leak

Fail 9 Jul 2016 166,100 miles

Front Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint both sides (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade missing (8.2.2)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

oil leak

Pass 11 Jul 2015 151,299 miles

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

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

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

Pass 3 Jul 2014 140,435 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 28 Jun 2013 126,282 miles

airbag light intermittent fault

headlamp lenses deteriorated

play in nearside and offside rear anti roll bar links

windscreen damaged

Pass 21 Jun 2012 120,970 miles

airbag warning lamp illuminated

rear brake pads appear worn low

Fail 1 Jun 2011 117,604 miles

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

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

both front tyres worn edges - offside front suggest replace

oil leak

slight play in steering rack

Pass 1 Jun 2011 117,604 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

both front tyres worn edges - offside front suggest replace

oil leak

slight play in steering rack

Pass 23 Jun 2010 114,813 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2010 114,685 miles

Offside Front position lamp(s) obscured more than 50% (1.1.A.3c)

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

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

Pass 3 Jun 2009 103,277 miles
Pass 4 Jun 2008 99,423 miles

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

Pass 27 Jun 2007 95,641 miles

Nearside Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

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

n/s/f o/s/f tyres worn on inner edge close to legal limit

Pass 3 Jun 2006 90,864 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

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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S197 BPM is a 1998 BMW 523 in Green with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 14 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 78.6%.

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 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 S197 BPM, 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 S197 BPM?

You can check the full history of S197 BPM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S197 BPM registered?

S197 BPM is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 26 November 1998.

Is S197 BPM safe to buy?

The MOT history for S197 BPM shows 14 tests with a 78.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S197 BPM 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 S197 BPM. 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.