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SO04 BVL

2004 BMW 523

Grey Petrol 2497cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires15 Sep 2025
Tests27 (17 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate63%

Mileage

163,383 mi
Last recorded163,383 miles
Recorded on23 Sep 2025
Typical for 2004 BMW 52386,320 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationSO04 BVL
MakeBMW
Model523
Year2004
ColourGrey
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 10 fail
Fail 23 Sep 2025 163,383 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device ineffective (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle wheel rubbing inner front and back (5.2.3 (f))

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Stop lamp(s) with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Inner Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Inner Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Front Coil spring corroded both side (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front unable to check the wipers due washer not working

Nearside Front Outer Tyre slightly damaged (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a reduced damping effect (5.3.2 (d))

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

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

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

Offside Rear Upper Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage corroded but not seriously weakened both side (5.3.3 (b) (i))

TPMS light on dash

Pass 16 Sep 2024 159,233 miles

Brake lever worn but not seriously weakened (1.1.15 (b))

Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt rear seat ()

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

Offside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Fail 10 Sep 2024 159,231 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt rear seat ()

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

Offside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 4 Sep 2023 153,087 miles

tyre pressure monitoring light on

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

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

Fail 30 Aug 2023 153,085 miles

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

Nearside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

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

Offside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

tyre pressure monitoring light on

Pass 28 Sep 2020 143,337 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Fail 18 Sep 2020 143,337 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint likely to become detached (5.3.4 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Pass 9 Oct 2019 136,511 miles
Pass 8 Oct 2018 130,966 miles

Nearside Rear tyre wearing on inner edge and tread at 3mm

Pass 17 Oct 2017 126,393 miles

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

Pass 20 Oct 2016 121,011 miles
Fail 19 Oct 2016 121,011 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim so that beam "kick up" is not visible on the screen (1.8.B.1)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim so that beam "kick up" is not visible on the screen (1.8.B.1)

Offside Front Lower Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 18 Nov 2015 113,185 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

under trays fitted

Fail 16 Nov 2015 113,180 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Brake back plate(s) locking device insecure (3.5.1l)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

under trays fitted

Pass 19 Nov 2014 106,717 miles

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 19 Nov 2014 106,717 miles

Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 21 Nov 2013 99,239 miles
Fail 21 Nov 2013 99,238 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Pass 4 Dec 2012 88,211 miles

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

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

front discs worn

Pass 7 Dec 2011 74,578 miles
Fail 7 Dec 2011 74,576 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

front discs worn

Pass 9 Dec 2010 61,352 miles
Fail 8 Dec 2010 61,352 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Nov 2009 52,348 miles
Pass 25 Nov 2008 42,142 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 30 Nov 2007 29,922 miles
Pass 9 May 2007 26,628 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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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SO04 BVL is a 2004 BMW 523 in Grey with a 2,497cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63%.

Across all 2004 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 77.0% with a typical mileage of 86,320 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 SO04 BVL, 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 22 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 SO04 BVL?

You can check the full history of SO04 BVL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was SO04 BVL registered?

SO04 BVL is a 2004 BMW 523, first registered on 20 May 2004.

Is SO04 BVL safe to buy?

The MOT history for SO04 BVL shows 27 tests with a 63% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does SO04 BVL 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 SO04 BVL. 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.