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B20 PMA

1998 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 2800cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Feb 2027
Tests12 (8 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

89,071 mi
Last recorded89,071 miles
Recorded on6 Feb 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

RegistrationB20 PMA
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1998
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,800cc

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

8 pass 4 fail
Pass 6 Feb 2026 89,071 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly twisted (1.1.12 (b) (i))

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

Fail 5 Feb 2026 89,070 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

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

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

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

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly twisted (1.1.12 (b) (i))

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

Pass 21 Jan 2025 84,661 miles

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

Fail 20 Jan 2025 84,660 miles

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

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

Pass 19 Jan 2024 82,087 miles
Pass 24 Jan 2023 81,526 miles

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

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

Pass 3 Feb 2022 81,196 miles

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

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

Pass 3 Sep 2020 81,000 miles

Centre brake pipes heavily greased

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

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

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

Fail 14 Jul 2020 80,990 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded along fuel tank to flex. (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded along fuel tank to flex (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn trailing bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view cracked (3.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front tyre age cracks

Pass 31 Jul 2019 79,498 miles

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

Pass 1 Nov 2017 79,478 miles
Fail 9 Mar 2017 79,464 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

Offside Front Brake hose twisted (found during steering lock to lock check) (2.2.D.2b)

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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B20 PMA is a 1998 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 2,800cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 12 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 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 B20 PMA, 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 B20 PMA?

You can check the full history of B20 PMA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B20 PMA registered?

B20 PMA is a 1998 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is B20 PMA safe to buy?

The MOT history for B20 PMA shows 12 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B20 PMA 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 B20 PMA. 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.