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S247 EFC

1998 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Oct 2026
Tests26 (21 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80.8%

Mileage

100,173 mi
Last recorded100,173 miles
Recorded on22 Sep 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

RegistrationS247 EFC
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

21 pass 5 fail
Pass 22 Sep 2025 100,173 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Fail 19 Sep 2025 100,168 miles

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

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

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 1 Oct 2024 98,149 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2023 95,886 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Aug 2022 93,573 miles
Fail 22 Aug 2022 93,573 miles

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 7 Sep 2021 91,284 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced inner body sill corroded at rear (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Offside Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Offside Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced inner body sill corroded at rear (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

parking brake only just passed requirements

plastic covers over outer body sills

Pass 14 Sep 2020 90,191 miles

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area damaged but not considered excessive by jacking point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive by jacking point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 27 Aug 2020 89,999 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive jacking point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive jacking point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

exhaust starting to corrode

Pass 9 Sep 2019 89,014 miles

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

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear jacking point starting to corrode

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

Pass 30 Aug 2018 87,186 miles

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

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

Pass 8 Sep 2017 85,019 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2017 84,982 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded front to back (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded front to back (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 26 Aug 2016 82,209 miles

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

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

Pass 8 Sep 2015 79,644 miles

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

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded both front to back (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 15 Aug 2014 76,902 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (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)

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

Pass 22 Jul 2013 73,419 miles

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

Pass 14 Aug 2012
Fail 13 Aug 2011 68,678 miles

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 13 Aug 2011 68,678 miles
Pass 27 Jul 2010 65,683 miles

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

Pass 3 Aug 2009 62,645 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2008 59,501 miles

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

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

rear number plate fading

Pass 17 Aug 2007 54,267 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2006 50,198 miles
Pass 2 Aug 2005 43,692 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

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.

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S247 EFC 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 80.8%.

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 S247 EFC, 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 S247 EFC?

You can check the full history of S247 EFC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S247 EFC registered?

S247 EFC is a 1998 BMW 523, first registered on 1 August 1998.

Is S247 EFC safe to buy?

The MOT history for S247 EFC shows 26 tests with a 80.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S247 EFC 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 S247 EFC. 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.