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SP53 ZLO

2003 BMW 520

Grey Petrol 2171cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 Oct 2026
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

97,099 mi
Last recorded97,099 miles
Recorded on16 Oct 2025
Typical for 2003 BMW 52084,985 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationSP53 ZLO
MakeBMW
Model520
Year2003
ColourGrey
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,171cc

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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 16 Oct 2025 97,099 miles

Both front tyres heavily cracked on sidewalls

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both front pitted on inner surface (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both front corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Front wipers smearing

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement d bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

Offside mirror casing damaged

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

grease leaking at both rear outer driveshafts

oil level not registering on dipstick required 2l to register

Fail 2 Oct 2025 97,099 miles

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

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

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

Offside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Both front tyres heavily cracked on sidewalls

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both front pitted on inner surface (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both front corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Front wipers smearing

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement d bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

Offside mirror casing damaged

grease leaking at both rear outer driveshafts

oil level not registering on dipstick required 2l to register

Pass 2 Oct 2024 91,973 miles

Both rear cv joints leaking grease

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement D bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both front (1.1.11 (c))

Front wipers smearing

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

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

oil level low

Pass 11 Oct 2023 86,105 miles

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement D bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive difficult to pinpoint location due to undertrays fitted (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

smell of oil burning from vehicle prob due to oil leak

tpms light on

Pass 28 Sep 2022 81,818 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement D bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

Oil leak, but not excessive unsure of location due to engine covers (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

tpms light on

Pass 29 Sep 2021 76,631 miles

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

Pass 29 Sep 2020 71,564 miles

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

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

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

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

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

oil level at min mark

Pass 16 Sep 2019 68,219 miles

Front wipers smearing

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge at 3mm (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

oil level low

pad wear indicator broken

Pass 8 Sep 2018 63,864 miles
Pass 19 Sep 2017 59,193 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2016 56,353 miles

covers and undertrays fitted obscuring some testable items

Fail 26 Sep 2016 56,252 miles

Nearside 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)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

covers and undertrays fitted obscuring some testable items

o/s handbrake reading lower than expected

Pass 28 Sep 2015 52,590 miles

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

nearside parking brake low reading

Fail 28 Sep 2015 52,590 miles

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

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

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

nearside parking brake low reading

Pass 25 Sep 2014 49,166 miles
Fail 22 Sep 2014 49,083 miles

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)

Pass 27 Sep 2013 45,714 miles
Pass 24 Sep 2012 42,553 miles
Pass 19 Sep 2011 38,638 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2010 35,616 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2009 31,346 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2008 27,161 miles

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

Pass 12 Sep 2007 21,459 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2006 16,456 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2006 16,456 miles

Offside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

How Reliable is the BMW 520?

Based on 1,661,806 MOT tests across 152,584 vehicles.

78.5%
Pass Rate
7,968
Miles/Year
35
Year Lifespan
152,584
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 47,121
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 22,647
Brake pipe excessively corroded 16,724
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 15,884
Track rod end ball joint has excessive play 14,720
Full BMW 520 reliability report

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SP53 ZLO is a 2003 BMW 520 in Grey with a 2,171cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

Across all 2003 BMW 520 models, the average MOT pass rate is 74.5% with a typical mileage of 84,985 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 520 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 47,121 recorded failures. If you're considering buying SP53 ZLO, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 520 typically stays on UK roads for around 35 years. At 23 years old, this BMW 520 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of SP53 ZLO?

You can check the full history of SP53 ZLO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was SP53 ZLO registered?

SP53 ZLO is a 2003 BMW 520, first registered on 26 September 2003.

Is SP53 ZLO safe to buy?

The MOT history for SP53 ZLO shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does SP53 ZLO 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 SP53 ZLO. 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.