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1989 BW

1986 BMW 3 Series

Black Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Oct 2026
Tests17 (11 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate64.7%

Mileage

78,234 mi
Last recorded78,234 miles
Recorded on2 Oct 2025
Typical for 1986 BMW 3 Series111,050 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

Registration1989 BW
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1986
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,494cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

11 pass 6 fail
Pass 2 Oct 2025 78,234 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2024 78,234 miles
Fail 23 Aug 2024 78,234 miles

Nearside Front Inner Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Inner Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

front wishbone (rear) bushes perished and weak

Pass 20 Jul 2023 77,400 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

oil leaks

Fail 28 Jun 2023 77,395 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge badly worn on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

oil leaks from engine 'gearbox and rear diff

Pass 1 Apr 2022 76,875 miles

Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

diff has a oil leak

engine has a oil leak

gearbox has an oil leak

Fail 30 Mar 2022 76,873 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect dip beam (4.1.2 (c))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

diff has a oil leak

engine has a oil leak

gearbox has an oil leak

Pass 18 Jan 2021 76,833 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge inside edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

baffles in exhaust loose

Pass 3 Jan 2020 75,267 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Nail in tyre ()

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all four (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 23 Dec 2019 75,258 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Nail in tyre ()

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all four (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 9 Dec 2017 74,516 miles
Pass 6 Jan 2017 74,111 miles
Fail 29 Dec 2016 74,111 miles

Nearside Front Outer Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a pin or bush of a lower wishbone inner bearing (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside rear parking (secondary) brakes imbalanced (3.7.B.6b)

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in an outer ball joint (2.5.B.2a)

Pass 24 Dec 2015 71,916 miles
Pass 20 Dec 2014 67,934 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

oil leak from between cylinder head and engine block

oil leak from diff

oil leak from oil filter housing

Pass 15 Aug 2013 66,731 miles
Fail 21 Jul 2010 64,101 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

How Reliable is the BMW 3 Series?

Based on 12,840,406 MOT tests across 1,004,285 vehicles.

75.1%
Pass Rate
6,672
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
1,004,285
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 485,475
Brake pipe excessively corroded 323,327
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 253,205
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 185,099
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 182,360
Full BMW 3 Series reliability report

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1989 BW is a 1986 BMW 3 Series in Black with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.7%.

Across all 1986 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.2% with a typical mileage of 111,050 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a BMW 3 Series fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 485,475 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 1989 BW, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 3 Series typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 40 years old, this BMW 3 Series is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 1989 BW?

You can check the full history of 1989 BW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 1989 BW registered?

1989 BW is a 1986 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is 1989 BW safe to buy?

The MOT history for 1989 BW shows 17 tests with a 64.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 1989 BW have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on 1989 BW. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.