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A48 ESS

2001 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 2171cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Feb 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

81,401 mi
Last recorded81,401 miles
Recorded on6 Feb 2026
Typical for 2001 BMW 3 Series95,548 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

RegistrationA48 ESS
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year2001
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,171cc

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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 6 Feb 2026 81,401 miles

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

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

undertrays fitted

Pass 7 Feb 2025 81,389 miles

Front Lower Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox sump heavily corroded and leaking (8.4.1 (a) (i))

numerous pipes greased

undertrays fitted

Fail 6 Feb 2025 81,389 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded both rears (1.1.11 (c))

Front Lower Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox sump heavily corroded and leaking (8.4.1 (a) (i))

undertrays fitted

Pass 5 Feb 2024 79,727 miles

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 1 Feb 2024 79,726 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Power steering malfunctioning (2.1.5 (a))

Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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))

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

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

Pass 30 Jan 2023 76,875 miles

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

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

Fail 30 Jan 2023 76,875 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

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

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

Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Pass 1 Feb 2022 75,665 miles
Fail 1 Feb 2022 75,665 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 26 Jan 2021 72,444 miles
Pass 29 Jan 2020 69,601 miles
Pass 28 Jan 2019 64,398 miles
Fail 28 Jan 2019 64,398 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 3 Jan 2018 59,331 miles
Pass 26 Jan 2017 56,121 miles
Fail 26 Jan 2017 56,121 miles

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

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

Nearside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Pass 28 Jan 2016 52,102 miles
Fail 28 Jan 2016 52,102 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Pass 12 Jan 2015 47,704 miles
Pass 20 Jan 2014 43,256 miles

Front and rear number plates could easily be misread

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Fail 14 Jan 2014 43,211 miles

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

Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Front and rear number plates could easily be misread

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 30 Jan 2013 39,880 miles

Front and Rear Number plates may be easily misread

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

Pass 20 Jan 2012 35,771 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 19 Jan 2011 30,928 miles
Pass 19 Feb 2010 28,574 miles
Pass 19 Feb 2009 23,346 miles
Pass 21 Feb 2008 21,170 miles
Pass 20 Jan 2006 19,717 miles
Fail 19 Jan 2006 18,617 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

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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A48 ESS is a 2001 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 2,171cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

Across all 2001 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.8% with a typical mileage of 95,548 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 A48 ESS, 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 25 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 A48 ESS?

You can check the full history of A48 ESS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A48 ESS registered?

A48 ESS is a 2001 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 26 January 2001.

Is A48 ESS safe to buy?

The MOT history for A48 ESS shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A48 ESS 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 A48 ESS. 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.