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1997 BMW 528i — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
45.0%
Latest Pass Rate
275
Total Tests (All Years)
134,305 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 16

This car: 45.0%
Average: 52.7%

⚠️ 7.7% below average (10212 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 BMW 528i as it ages.

12 yrs57.8%
13 yrs53.3%
14 yrs55.1%
15 yrs46.5%
16 yrs45.0%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 16 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs57.8%83
13 yrs53.3%60
14 yrs55.1%49
15 yrs46.5%43
16 yrs45.0%40

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 BMW 528i pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 5 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (16 yrs)45%40
2012 (15 yrs)46.5%43
2011 (14 yrs)55.1%49
2010 (13 yrs)53.3%60
2009 (12 yrs)57.8%83

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
57.8%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 83Avg Mileage 124,484Top Failure Brakes — 30.1%
2010High Fail Rate
53.3%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 60Avg Mileage 126,237Top Failure Brakes — 30.0%
2011High Fail Rate
55.1%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 49Avg Mileage 129,423Top Failure Driver's View of the Road — 20.4%
2012High Fail Rate
46.5%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 43Avg Mileage 130,474Top Failure Suspension — 27.9%
2013High Fail Rate
45.0%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 40Avg Mileage 134,305Top Failure Brakes — 105.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 BMW 528i, with age trends.

Brakes
41.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
28.0%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
26.4%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
21.6%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
16.4%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes30.1% (12 yrs)105.0% (16 yrs)
+74.9%
🔴 ↑
Suspension21.7% (12 yrs)57.5% (16 yrs)
+35.8%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment18.1% (12 yrs)52.5% (16 yrs)
+34.4%
🔴 ↑
Tyres16.9% (12 yrs)35.0% (16 yrs)
+18.1%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road7.2% (12 yrs)22.5% (16 yrs)
+15.3%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW 528i page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW 528i cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 275 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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