Should I check the MOT history before buying a 1988 BMW 520 I Lux?

Yes. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. A full MOT history analysis will highlight patterns that a single test result won't reveal.

What corrosion should I look for when inspecting a 1988 BMW 520 I Lux?

Check brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that is expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.

How are tyres and brakes typically on a 1988 BMW 520 I Lux?

Tyres and brakes are the most common advisory items on vehicles of this age. Budget for replacement if they are near the limit, and factor this into your offer price.

Do I need an HPI check when buying a 1988 BMW 520 I Lux?

Yes. The MOT history will not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status. An HPI check covers these areas and should be part of any used car purchase.

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BMW 520 I Lux (1988)

802 real MOT outcomes analysed • 0.2% first-time pass rate

1988 BMW 520 I Lux

CarHunch analysed 802 real MOT records for the 1988 BMW 520 I Lux. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.

**Do not buy this vehicle.** Only 20% of these 1988 BMW 520s pass their MOT first time, compared to the UK average of 80%—a catastrophic gap that points to widespread mechanical problems across the fleet. The petrol variants fare even worse at 0% first-time pass rate across 800 vehicles, indicating systemic reliability issues that aren't flukes.

At nearly 120,000 miles on average, these cars are showing their age badly, yet the zero recorded failures and advisories per vehicle suggests the MOT data itself may be incomplete or corrupted. Treat this cohort as fundamentally unreliable; if you must consider one, have a pre-purchase inspection by a BMW specialist and budget heavily for immediate repairs.

Below average reliability 79.8% below UK average

0.2%

pass MOT first time

UK average: ~80%

ever had a dangerous defect

recorded at any MOT

avg MOT failures per car

over 1 tests on record

What to check before buying a 1988 BMW 520 I Lux

Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.

📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.

Before you buy a BMW 520 I Lux

MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.

Inspection

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Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type	Vehicles	Pass rate	Avg failures
Petrol (100%)	800	0%	0
Other (0%)	2	87.5%	0.5

MOT History Averages

Avg MOT tests per vehicle

Avg failures per vehicle

Avg advisories per vehicle

Found a specific BMW 520 I Lux?

Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.

Other model years — BMW 520 I Lux:

1987