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BF51 SZL

2001 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 2979cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Apr 2027
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

138,377 mi
Last recorded138,377 miles
Recorded on2 Apr 2026
Typical for 2001 BMW 3 Series95,548 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBF51 SZL
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year2001
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,979cc

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

16 pass 6 fail
Pass 2 Apr 2026 138,377 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Worn on inner edge. (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Apr 2025 134,521 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Wheel welded

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

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

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Feb 2024 134,171 miles

Nearside Front Tyre edge worn smooth

Fail 20 Feb 2024 134,166 miles

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre edge worn smooth

Pass 15 Sep 2022 130,788 miles

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

Pass 9 Jul 2021 129,277 miles

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

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated n/s & o/s (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Pass 10 Feb 2020 127,700 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 7 Feb 2020 127,700 miles

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 7 Feb 2019 123,809 miles

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

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

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

Pass 25 Jan 2018 118,162 miles

Nearside Front Non obligatory mirror damaged ()

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

engine covers & under trays fitted

Pass 5 Oct 2015 117,807 miles

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

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

engine covers & under trays

Pass 4 Jun 2014 117,791 miles
Fail 23 May 2014 117,791 miles

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Pass 8 Jan 2013 114,785 miles

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

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

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

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

brake warning light on dash

engine management light on

Fail 7 Jan 2013 114,785 miles

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

Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

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

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

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

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

brake warning light on dash

engine management light on

Pass 2 Jun 2011 111,760 miles

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

Pass 24 Sep 2009 107,518 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2008 99,058 miles

Offside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 16 Mar 2007 89,975 miles

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

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Fail 16 Mar 2007 89,975 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Fail 22 Mar 2006 76,746 miles

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 22 Mar 2006 76,746 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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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.

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BF51 SZL is a 2001 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 2,979cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

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 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 BF51 SZL, 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 BF51 SZL?

You can check the full history of BF51 SZL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BF51 SZL registered?

BF51 SZL is a 2001 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 13 September 2001.

Is BF51 SZL safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF51 SZL shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF51 SZL 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 BF51 SZL. 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.