2016 BMW 520 2.0L Diesel · VF16 AFN

The vehicle presents a broadly stable roadworthiness profile, though the most recent test on 28 February 2024 at 121,524 miles flagged an advisory for tyre wear close to the legal limit on all four wheels. That advisory, combined with a historical pattern of recurring tyre wear and brake disc issues, suggests consumable maintenance has been reactive rather than preventative. The overall trend is neither sharply worsening nor clearly improving. It sits in a holding pattern where the car passes each test but repeatedly returns with similar low-level defects that a diligent owner would typically address before they reach an MOT. The mileage accumulation tells a story of sustained high use. Between 2020 and 2024, the car covered roughly 66,000 miles in just under four years, averaging around 16,500 miles annually during that period. That is well above the roughly 12,152 miles per year implied by the total age-to-mileage ratio. The jump from 78,533 miles in March 2022 to 105,164 miles by March 2023 alone accounts for over 26,000 miles in a single year. This intensity of use accelerates wear on suspension bushes, brake components, drivetrain mounts, and exhaust systems, all of which deteriorate faster under sustained motorway or high-load conditions than under gentle urban use. A buyer should pay close attention to the braking system. The 2022 test flagged a front brake disc worn but not excessively, while the 2020 test noted a rear brake disc worn, pitted, or scored. These advisories appearing at different axles across consecutive tests point to a car that has been driven hard and maintained on a pass-fail basis rather than proactively replacing discs and pads at appropriate intervals. Inspect both front and rear disc thickness and condition in person, and check for uneven pad wear that could indicate binding calipers or seized slide pins. The tyre wear pattern is equally telling. The 2022 test flagged a nail in the nearside rear tyre and edge wear on the same wheel, while the 2024 test flagged all four tyres worn close to the legal limit. Repeated edge wear across multiple tests and multiple wheels strongly suggests the suspension geometry, particularly toe and camber settings, may be out of specification, or that the previous owner simply ran the car on worn tyres between tests. Have the suspension bushes, track rod ends, and wishbone joints inspected, and request a four-wheel alignment check before committing to purchase.