Skip to main content
Pass Your MOT

1998 BMW 523i Se Auto — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age

28 years
Current Age
60.0%
Latest Pass Rate
1,542
Total Tests (All Years)
123,447 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 19

This car: 60.0%
Average: 55.4%

✅ 4.6% above average (7550 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1998 BMW 523i Se Auto as it ages.

11 yrs50.1%
12 yrs47.0%
13 yrs58.0%
14 yrs52.4%
15 yrs50.6%
16 yrs56.1%
17 yrs62.4%
18 yrs63.1%
19 yrs60.0%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 11 to 19 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
11 yrs50.1%349
12 yrs47.0%266
13 yrs58.0%224
14 yrs52.4%187
15 yrs50.6%160
16 yrs56.1%114
17 yrs62.4%93
18 yrs63.1%84
19 yrs60.0%65

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1998 BMW 523i Se Auto pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (19 yrs)60%65
2016 (18 yrs)63.1%84
2015 (17 yrs)62.4%93
2014 (16 yrs)56.1%114
2013 (15 yrs)50.6%160
2012 (14 yrs)52.4%187
2011 (13 yrs)58%224
2010 (12 yrs)47%266
2009 (11 yrs)50.1%349

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
50.1%
Age (yrs) 11Tests 349Avg Mileage 120,676Top Failure Brakes — 30.1%
2010High Fail Rate
47.0%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 266Avg Mileage 120,328Top Failure Brakes — 28.9%
2011High Fail Rate
58.0%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 224Avg Mileage 127,217Top Failure Brakes — 24.6%
2012High Fail Rate
52.4%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 187Avg Mileage 127,445Top Failure Suspension — 31.6%
2013High Fail Rate
50.6%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 160Avg Mileage 127,072Top Failure Brakes — 65.0%
2014High Fail Rate
56.1%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 114Avg Mileage 122,337Top Failure Suspension — 44.7%
2015High Fail Rate
62.4%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 93Avg Mileage 128,064Top Failure Suspension — 53.8%
2016High Fail Rate
63.1%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 84Avg Mileage 132,946Top Failure Brakes — 60.7%
2017High Fail Rate
60.0%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 65Avg Mileage 123,447Top Failure Suspension — 63.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1998 BMW 523i Se Auto, with age trends.

Brakes
41.0%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
40.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
27.7%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
20.6%
↑ Increases with age
Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems
16.2%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension22.1% (11 yrs)63.1% (19 yrs)
+41.0%
🔴 ↑
Tyres15.8% (11 yrs)33.8% (19 yrs)
+18.0%
🔴 ↑
Brakes30.1% (11 yrs)44.6% (19 yrs)
+14.5%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment25.8% (11 yrs)32.3% (19 yrs)
+6.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW 523i Se Auto page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 523i Se Auto cars manufactured in 1998 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,542 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Share via WhatsApp Share on Facebook Report Issue