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CVZ 540

1997 BMW 540

Silver Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Oct 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

89,298 mi
Last recorded89,298 miles
Recorded on29 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 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

RegistrationCVZ 540
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,398cc

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 8 fail
Pass 29 Oct 2025 89,298 miles

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

Fail 21 Oct 2025 89,298 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 0.96 (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits 2.77 (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

Fail 20 Oct 2025 89,298 miles

Direction indicator incorrect colour FRONTS (4.4.3 (a))

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 0.96 (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits 2.77 (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust silencer insecure MISSING (8.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 21 Oct 2024 87,453 miles

Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Sep 2023 86,579 miles
Fail 18 Sep 2023 86,576 miles

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

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

Pass 8 Sep 2022 86,509 miles

Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Sep 2021 86,161 miles

under guards

Pass 21 Sep 2020 85,403 miles
Pass 16 May 2019 84,748 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2018 83,948 miles

Oil leak ()

tank strap rusty

under guards

Fail 20 Feb 2018 83,948 miles

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Oil leak ()

tank strap rusty

under guards

Pass 24 Feb 2017 83,583 miles
Fail 23 Feb 2017 83,580 miles

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

Pass 2 Mar 2016 82,890 miles

Nearside rear parking (secondary) brake imbalance requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. low effort in comparison to offside brake (3.7.B.6b)

both tank straps corroded

Pass 2 Mar 2015 82,275 miles
Pass 17 Mar 2014 81,476 miles
Fail 14 Mar 2014 81,476 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Pass 4 Mar 2013 80,358 miles

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

slight wear both front brake discs

slight wear both rear brake discs

Pass 15 Mar 2012 79,394 miles

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

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

both rear tyres worn on inner edge

Pass 21 Feb 2011 77,748 miles

child seat fitted in nearside rear seat belt

Pass 16 Feb 2010 73,785 miles

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

nearside and offside rear tyres worn on inner shoulders

sill covers fitted to vehicle

Pass 2 Mar 2009 70,194 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2009

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Pass 12 Feb 2008 65,073 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2007 62,837 miles
Fail 27 Feb 2007 62,827 miles

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

front and rear brake pads worn thin

Pass 22 Feb 2006 56,329 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 540?

Based on 50,016 MOT tests across 4,152 vehicles.

71.9%
Pass Rate
4,801
Miles/Year
33
Year Lifespan
4,152
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,881
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,341
Brake pipe excessively corroded 1,599
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,360
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 1,334
Full BMW 540 reliability report

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CVZ 540 is a 1997 BMW 540 in Silver with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

Across all 1997 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.9% with a typical mileage of 117,944 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 540 fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,881 recorded failures. If you're considering buying CVZ 540, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 540 typically stays on UK roads for around 33 years. At 29 years old, this BMW 540 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of CVZ 540?

You can check the full history of CVZ 540 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was CVZ 540 registered?

CVZ 540 is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is CVZ 540 safe to buy?

The MOT history for CVZ 540 shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does CVZ 540 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 CVZ 540. 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.