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E309 VTU

1987 BMW 518

White Petrol 1766cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Jun 2027
Tests14 (8 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate57.1%

Mileage

161,054 mi
Last recorded161,054 miles
Recorded on12 Jun 2026
Typical for 1987 BMW 518118,725 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationE309 VTU
MakeBMW
Model518
Year1987
ColourWhite
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,766cc

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 6 fail
Pass 12 Jun 2026 161,054 miles

Fuel Pipe/s corroded slightly insecure at rear and replaced with rubber

Nearside Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced battery tray (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt x2 (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside steering arm bush has play

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 10 Oct 2020 150,126 miles

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 27 Sep 2018 145,961 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake cable damaged but not to excess (1.1.15 (a))

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

Fail 27 Sep 2018 145,954 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Battery insecure and likely to cause a short circuit (4.13 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Front Steering linkage insecure to the extent there is excessive movement at the mountings (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Rear Brake cable damaged but not to excess (1.1.15 (a))

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

Pass 5 Oct 2017 144,494 miles

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Rear Brake cable has wires broken but is not significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Fail 4 Oct 2017 144,478 miles

Front registration plate has a feature which changes the appearance or legibility of the characters (6.3.4c)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Front Macpherson strut has excessive movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

Nearside Front Steering arm deformed and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (2.4.A.3)

Rear registration plate has a feature which changes the appearance or legibility of the characters (6.3.4c)

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Rear Brake cable has wires broken but is not significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

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

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 10 Nov 2016 149,783 miles

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

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

Offside Rear Brake cable has wires broken but is not significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

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

Fail 8 Nov 2016 143,770 miles

Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Front registration plate fitted to the front does not have black characters on a white background (6.3.2a)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Steering arm deformed and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Rear registration plate fitted to the rear does not have black characters on a yellow background (6.3.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

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

Offside Rear Brake cable has wires broken but is not significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

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

Pass 9 Nov 2015 142,929 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2015 142,929 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 19 Nov 2014 138,790 miles
Fail 19 Nov 2014 138,790 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 2 May 2013 138,692 miles
Fail 26 Apr 2013 138,691 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

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

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

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

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

How Reliable is the BMW 518?

Based on 62,660 MOT tests across 8,904 vehicles.

74.0%
Pass Rate
6,367
Miles/Year
41
Year Lifespan
8,904
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 3,373
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,837
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 1,465
position lamp(s) not working 1,178
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases 1,104
Full BMW 518 reliability report

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E309 VTU is a 1987 BMW 518 in White with a 1,766cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 14 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.1%.

Across all 1987 BMW 518 models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.5% with a typical mileage of 118,725 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 518 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 3,373 recorded failures. If you're considering buying E309 VTU, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 518 typically stays on UK roads for around 41 years. At 39 years old, this BMW 518 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E309 VTU?

You can check the full history of E309 VTU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E309 VTU registered?

E309 VTU is a 1987 BMW 518, first registered on 4 August 1987.

Is E309 VTU safe to buy?

The MOT history for E309 VTU shows 14 tests with a 57.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E309 VTU 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 E309 VTU. 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.