2006 BMW 523: MOT pass rate and reliability
76.7% of 2006 BMW 523s pass the MOT first time, measured across 257 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 122,475 miles.
How the 2006 compares
- Against all BMW 523s (72%, 2,263 tests): +4.7 points
- Against all 2006 cars (64.1%): +12.6 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every BMW 523 model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2006 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the BMW 523:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 61.8% | 246 | 128,637 |
| 1999 | 65.7% | 309 | 136,227 |
| 2000 | 69.8% | 245 | 132,108 |
| 2005 | 72% | 200 | 120,149 |
| 2006 | 76.7% | 257 | 122,475 |
| 2010 | 75.5% | 229 | 88,336 |
What this means if you are buying a 2006 523
The 2006 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 4.7 points more often than the BMW 523 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 20-year-old car fails on
A 2006 car is 20 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2006 BMW 523 the average at test was 122,475 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
2006 is the strongest year on record for this model at 76.7%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.
Nearby model years
- 1999 BMW 523 - 65.7%
- 2000 BMW 523 - 69.8%
- 2005 BMW 523 - 72%
- 2010 BMW 523 - 75.5%