CarVerify

Free Car Check

AJ54 YMU

2004 BMW 3 Series

Black Petrol 2494cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires31 Mar 2027
Tests26 (19 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate73.1%

Mileage

183,787 mi
Last recorded183,787 miles
Recorded on1 Apr 2026
Typical for 2004 BMW 3 Series89,350 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationAJ54 YMU
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year2004
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

19 pass 7 fail
Pass 1 Apr 2026 183,787 miles

Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output both front head lamps (4.1.4 (b))

Pass 18 Feb 2025 174,505 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 5 Feb 2024 170,130 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both front cracking in tread (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 14 Feb 2023 163,232 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases rear of centre box (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) both front ()

Fail 9 Feb 2023 163,229 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear fog lamp light intensity significantly reduced (4.5.4 (a))

Parking brake inoperative on one side both sides (1.4.1 (a))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases rear of centre box (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) both front ()

Pass 26 Jan 2022 158,944 miles
Fail 12 Jan 2022 158,942 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced FLOOR (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced FLOOR (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 1 Sep 2020 154,731 miles
Fail 1 Sep 2020 154,731 miles

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

Pass 24 Oct 2019 151,576 miles

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

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

Fail 23 Oct 2019 151,576 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (by connection to flexible hose) (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (by connection to flexible hose) (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Pass 19 Jan 2019 147,930 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring worn (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

slight play in both steering arms

Pass 25 Jan 2018 140,621 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 24 Jan 2018 140,621 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 25 Jan 2017 132,771 miles

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

Fail 14 Jan 2017 132,590 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Jan 2016 125,019 miles

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

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

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

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

inner steering joint play

Pass 17 Jan 2015 118,228 miles
Pass 6 Feb 2014 111,197 miles

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

n/s wipper blade slightly split

Pass 16 Feb 2013 105,984 miles

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

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

Pass 30 Jan 2012 90,725 miles

tyre worn on the inner edge near side front

Pass 15 Feb 2011 89,771 miles

front tyres wearing on edges

Pass 4 Feb 2010 87,845 miles

brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 11 Feb 2009 84,425 miles
Fail 7 Feb 2009 84,395 miles

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

Pass 12 Dec 2007 72,228 miles

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

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

AJ54 YMU is a 2004 BMW 3 Series in Black with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.1%.

Across all 2004 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.5% with a typical mileage of 89,350 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 AJ54 YMU, 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 22 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 AJ54 YMU?

You can check the full history of AJ54 YMU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AJ54 YMU registered?

AJ54 YMU is a 2004 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 14 December 2004.

Is AJ54 YMU safe to buy?

The MOT history for AJ54 YMU shows 26 tests with a 73.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does AJ54 YMU 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 AJ54 YMU. 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.