BMW 523 reliability, MOT pass rate and rarity

Time Period & Model

Time period snapshot: Last 5 years

Manufacturer: BMW

Model: 523

Model reliability rank

MOT-based rank from 15,881 selected-period tests.

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Overall MOT pass rate

74.3%

Share of this model's 15,881 selected-period MOT tests that pass.

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Efficiency, emissions & tax

Average MPG

CO2 emission

Euro emissions

Tax cost

£350/yr

Vehicle list price over £40,000?NoYes

Average vehicle miles

121,841

Solid average mileage for this model.

Life expectancy miles

122,400

Moderate mature-fleet mileage expectation.

Average vehicle age

20.4

Older average age in the represented fleet.

Vehicles represented

1,867

1,867 valid MOT, 0 under 3 years.

Tests analysed

15,881

15,881 MOT tests in the selected period.

Rarity ranking

Based on Make & Model

Very Rare

1,867On the road

Insight summary

BMW 523 is a very rare model in this snapshot, with 1,867 represented vehicles and 0.00% of the active UK pool tracked by AutoRank. For the last 5 years, it has a pass rate of 74.3% from 15,881 MOT tests, with a reliability score of 55. The current pool shows an average of 121,841 miles and an average age of 20.4 years, while mature-fleet mileage is estimated at 122,400 miles. Petrol leads the fuel split, followed by diesel, and the most frequent defect themes are parking brake, lighting and windscreen damage. The practical read is that the BMW 523 looks like a solid used-car baseline rather than a rare find, with age, mileage and common wear items doing most of the explaining.

Fuel type breakdown (by model)

Fuel	Vehicles
PETROL	1,794
DIESEL	70
GAS BI-FUEL	1
HYBRID ELECTRIC (CLEAN)	1
LPG	1

Euro NCAP Safety

No NCAP tests found for this model.

Top 25 most common defects (by model)

Defect	Count
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))	417
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))	315
Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))	273
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))	249
Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))	217
Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))	168
Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	156
Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))	152
Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))	151
Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	149
Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))	148
Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))	146
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))	140
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))	134
Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))	127
Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	122
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii))	122
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))	120
Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))	118
Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))	113
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))	111
Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))	104
Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))	100
Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	97
Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))	96

All 25 defects ranked by recorded countShowing 4,045 defects across this top 25 set

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

417

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

315

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

273

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

249

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

217

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

168

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

156

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

152

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

151

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

149

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

148

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

146

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

140

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

134

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

127

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

122

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

122

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

120

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

118

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

113

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

111

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

104

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

100

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

BMW 523 reliability and MOT data