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222 UEL

1997 BMW 540

Grey Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Dec 2026
Tests21 (18 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate85.7%

Mileage

107,462 mi
Last recorded107,462 miles
Recorded on18 Dec 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 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

Registration222 UEL
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourGrey
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,398cc

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

18 pass 3 fail
Pass 18 Dec 2025 107,462 miles
Pass 2 Nov 2024 107,281 miles
Pass 25 Sep 2023 107,062 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 11 Sep 2023

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid both (3.5 (a))

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

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

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Direction indicator slightly discoloured both, repeaters (4.4.3 (a))

Headlamp washer device inoperative

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

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

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

all brake disks corroded

Pass 12 Mar 2022 106,801 miles

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

Pass 20 Mar 2021 106,208 miles
Fail 12 Jan 2021 106,194 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

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

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

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 28 Aug 2019 105,648 miles
Fail 8 Jan 2019

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Front (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn Rear (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Front (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn Rear (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

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

Pass 2 Nov 2017 100,370 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2016 96,655 miles
Pass 13 Jul 2015 95,068 miles
Pass 4 Jul 2014 90,533 miles
Pass 28 Jun 2013 87,271 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) slightly discoloured (1.1.A.3e)

Nearside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front position lamp(s) slightly discoloured (1.1.A.3e)

Offside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 2 Jul 2012 81,910 miles
Pass 4 Jul 2011 74,769 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2010 68,583 miles
Pass 19 Jun 2009 62,258 miles
Pass 12 May 2008 54,536 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2007 46,792 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2006 35,658 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 540?

Based on 50,016 MOT tests across 4,152 vehicles.

71.9%
Pass Rate
4,801
Miles/Year
33
Year Lifespan
4,152
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,881
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,341
Brake pipe excessively corroded 1,599
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,360
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 1,334
Full BMW 540 reliability report

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222 UEL is a 1997 BMW 540 in Grey with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 85.7%.

Across all 1997 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.9% with a typical mileage of 117,944 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 540 fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,881 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 222 UEL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 540 typically stays on UK roads for around 33 years. At 29 years old, this BMW 540 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 222 UEL?

You can check the full history of 222 UEL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 222 UEL registered?

222 UEL is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 21 August 1997.

Is 222 UEL safe to buy?

The MOT history for 222 UEL shows 21 tests with a 85.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 222 UEL 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 222 UEL. 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.