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A20 SOJ

1998 BMW 3 Series

Red Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Apr 2027
Tests26 (21 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80.8%

Mileage

57,226 mi
Last recorded57,226 miles
Recorded on11 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW 3 Series106,396 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

RegistrationA20 SOJ
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1998
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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

21 pass 5 fail
Pass 11 Mar 2026 57,226 miles

Exhaust Slight Leak At Joins

Rear Seat Belts Not Tested

Pass 31 Mar 2025 56,868 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases at joins (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 27 Mar 2024 56,722 miles
Fail 27 Mar 2024 56,722 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Steering locking device ineffective (2.1.3 (d))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Steering locking device ineffective (2.1.3 (d))

Pass 5 Apr 2023 56,518 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2022 51,842 miles
Pass 22 Mar 2021 47,784 miles

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

Fail 19 Mar 2021 47,783 miles

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

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

Pass 16 Mar 2020 41,808 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside reverse lamp inoperative

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 16 Mar 2020 41,808 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside reverse lamp inoperative

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 18 Mar 2019 40,408 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear reverse lamp not working

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 18 Mar 2019 40,408 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear reverse lamp not working

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 8 Mar 2018 38,645 miles

Oil leak engine area ()

Pass 8 Mar 2017 37,256 miles

Nearside Brake pipe slightly corroded front to rear. (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front Nail in tyre ()

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded front to rear. (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Oil leak ()

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 14 Mar 2016 35,568 miles

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

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

both front tyres cracking

oil leak

Pass 10 Mar 2015 33,848 miles

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

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

Fail 10 Mar 2015 33,848 miles

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

Pass 13 Mar 2014 32,937 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

Pass 6 Mar 2013 32,407 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 9 Mar 2012 29,483 miles

slight oil leaking from crankshaft seal

Pass 16 Mar 2011 26,546 miles
Pass 12 Mar 2010 25,865 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2009 25,071 miles

Engine oil leak from timing chain cover area.

Pass 11 Mar 2008 24,324 miles
Pass 14 Mar 2007 23,672 miles
Pass 14 Mar 2006 22,615 miles

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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A20 SOJ is a 1998 BMW 3 Series in Red with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80.8%.

Across all 1998 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.1% with a typical mileage of 106,396 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 A20 SOJ, 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 28 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 A20 SOJ?

You can check the full history of A20 SOJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A20 SOJ registered?

A20 SOJ is a 1998 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 6 April 1998.

Is A20 SOJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for A20 SOJ shows 26 tests with a 80.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A20 SOJ 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 A20 SOJ. 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.