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1996 BMW 523i — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
52.9%
Latest Pass Rate
370
Total Tests (All Years)
145,956 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 18

This car: 52.9%
Average: 54.3%

⚠️ 1.4% below average (8383 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1996 BMW 523i as it ages.

13 yrs51.1%
14 yrs51.4%
15 yrs58.5%
16 yrs39.5%
17 yrs54.5%
18 yrs52.9%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 13 to 18 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
13 yrs51.1%133
14 yrs51.4%74
15 yrs58.5%53
16 yrs39.5%43
17 yrs54.5%33
18 yrs52.9%34

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 BMW 523i pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 6 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2014 (18 yrs)52.9%34
2013 (17 yrs)54.5%33
2012 (16 yrs)39.5%43
2011 (15 yrs)58.5%53
2010 (14 yrs)51.4%74
2009 (13 yrs)51.1%133

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
51.1%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 133Avg Mileage 134,419Top Failure Brakes — 34.6%
2010High Fail Rate
51.4%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 74Avg Mileage 131,149Top Failure Brakes — 36.5%
2011High Fail Rate
58.5%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 53Avg Mileage 136,177Top Failure Brakes — 32.1%
2012High Fail Rate
39.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 43Avg Mileage 142,026Top Failure Brakes — 39.5%
2013High Fail Rate
54.5%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 33Avg Mileage 140,094Top Failure Brakes — 81.8%
2014High Fail Rate
52.9%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 34Avg Mileage 145,956Top Failure Brakes — 70.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1996 BMW 523i, with age trends.

Brakes
49.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
24.2%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
23.0%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
22.1%
— Consistent
Tyres
21.0%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes34.6% (13 yrs)70.6% (18 yrs)
+36.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension21.1% (13 yrs)29.4% (18 yrs)
+8.3%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment19.5% (13 yrs)20.6% (18 yrs)
+1.1%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 523i cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2014, covering 370 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.

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