CarVerify

Free Car Check

W297 NEF

2000 BMW 523

Silver Petrol 2494cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Jul 2027
Tests26 (21 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80.8%

Mileage

137,556 mi
Last recorded137,556 miles
Recorded on14 Jul 2026
Typical for 2000 BMW 523111,598 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationW297 NEF
MakeBMW
Model523
Year2000
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 14 Jul 2026 137,556 miles
Pass 20 Aug 2025 130,858 miles
Fail 31 Jul 2025 130,471 miles

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced both side-sills, next to jacking points (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front ABS wires exposed, rodent damage?

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

bonnet release sticking, cable stretched?

Pass 31 Jul 2024 130,074 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Position lamp light intensity obviously reduced (4.2.3 (a) (i))

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

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

Vehicles internal headlight adjuster altered to recheck lights

Pass 9 Aug 2023 128,605 miles

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

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all perishing and old (2015) 225/55x16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 4 Aug 2023 128,595 miles

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

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

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all perishing and old (2015) 225/55x16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Aug 2022 126,711 miles

Front number plate cracked

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil both (5.3.2 (b))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all old (2015) 225/55x16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

covers fitted obscuring some components

Fail 4 Aug 2022 126,710 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Front number plate cracked

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil both (5.3.2 (b))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all old (2015) 225/55x16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

covers fitted obscuring some components

Pass 14 Jul 2021 125,656 miles

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

engine and under trays fitted

exhaust system corroded

Pass 10 Aug 2020 125,021 miles

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

Front number plate cracked

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

engine covers fitted obscuring some components

Pass 25 Jul 2019 123,886 miles

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

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

engine and under trays fitted

exhaust system corroding

Pass 25 Jul 2018 122,496 miles

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

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

exhaust system corroded

under trays fitted

Pass 8 Aug 2017 121,404 miles

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

exhaust system corroding

under trays fitted

Pass 9 Aug 2016 120,286 miles

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

Oil leak

all brake discs slightly worn

all tyres perishing 225/55/16

engine covers fitted

exhaust system corroding

front number plate cracked

rear diff has slight leak

under trays fitted

windscreen chipped both zones

Pass 15 Jul 2015 119,118 miles

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

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

all tyres perishing

both rear tyres getting low

front number plate cracked

rear diff oil leak

Pass 24 Jul 2014 118,000 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2013 116,784 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2012 112,632 miles
Fail 30 Jul 2012 112,632 miles

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

Pass 22 Jul 2011 103,738 miles
Pass 22 Jul 2010 93,709 miles
Pass 23 Jul 2009 82,241 miles

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

Pass 30 Jul 2008 72,760 miles
Pass 6 Jul 2007 61,417 miles
Pass 12 Jul 2006 52,162 miles
Fail 11 Jul 2006 52,162 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

W297 NEF is a 2000 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 2000 BMW 523 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.9% with a typical mileage of 111,598 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 W297 NEF, 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 26 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 W297 NEF?

You can check the full history of W297 NEF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was W297 NEF registered?

W297 NEF is a 2000 BMW 523, first registered on 20 June 2000.

Is W297 NEF safe to buy?

The MOT history for W297 NEF 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 W297 NEF 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 W297 NEF. 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.