CarVerify

Free Car Check

A15 GGA

1997 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 1896cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Oct 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

118,166 mi
Last recorded118,166 miles
Recorded on7 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 3 Series110,506 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationA15 GGA
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1997
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,896cc

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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 7 Oct 2025 118,166 miles

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

Nearside Front Macpherson strut pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement top strut slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

rear diff leaking

Pass 10 Jul 2024 117,016 miles

Front Inner Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Both (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

slight corrosion throughout all suspension components

Pass 20 Jul 2023 113,501 miles

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) light intensity obviously reduced (4.3.3 (a) (i))

rear diff leaking

Fail 2 Jun 2023 113,484 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength floor (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength outer sill around jacking point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength outer sill outside jacking point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) light intensity obviously reduced (4.3.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive floor (5.3.6 (a) (i))

rear diff leaking

Pass 26 Apr 2022 111,344 miles

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

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

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 29 Apr 2021 108,788 miles

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 12 Jul 2019 130,172 miles

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Jul 2019 130,168 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 21 Jun 2018 123,591 miles

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

Fail 21 Jun 2018 123,591 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Pass 13 Jun 2017 116,207 miles
Fail 13 Jun 2017 116,207 miles

Nearside Rear Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 1 Jun 2016 114,123 miles
Pass 25 Jun 2015 110,233 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 29 May 2014 107,272 miles
Pass 29 May 2013 104,524 miles
Pass 29 Jun 2012 102,218 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 19 May 2011 97,540 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 20 May 2010 90,052 miles
Fail 20 May 2010 90,048 miles

Nearside Front suspension has excessive movement at a suspension ball joint (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front suspension has excessive movement at a suspension ball joint (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Rear coil spring incomplete (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 13 Jun 2009 82,364 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 9 Jun 2008 75,160 miles

n/s/f tyre outer wall worn.

Pass 13 Jun 2007 65,788 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2006 54,986 miles
Fail 2 Jun 2006 54,986 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) DANGEROUS

Offside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1) DANGEROUS

Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

both rear tryres on 2.5mm

catalytic converter element loose

front anti roll bar link bushes splitting

front wishbone bushes splitting

offside front foglamp lens cracked

rear shocker top mountings starting to split

slight brake pipe corrosion

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

A15 GGA is a 1997 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 1,896cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

Across all 1997 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.5% with a typical mileage of 110,506 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 A15 GGA, 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 29 years old, this BMW 3 Series is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of A15 GGA?

You can check the full history of A15 GGA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A15 GGA registered?

A15 GGA is a 1997 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is A15 GGA safe to buy?

The MOT history for A15 GGA shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A15 GGA 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 A15 GGA. 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.