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E3 GXL

1998 BMW 316

Black Petrol 1596cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Apr 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

94,719 mi
Last recorded94,719 miles
Recorded on20 Apr 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW 31698,622 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

RegistrationE3 GXL
MakeBMW
Model316
Year1998
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,596cc

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 9 fail
Pass 20 Apr 2026 94,719 miles
Pass 18 Oct 2025 94,169 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2024 93,872 miles
Pass 20 Sep 2023 183,494 miles
Pass 17 Sep 2022 182,062 miles
Pass 25 Sep 2021 178,380 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2020 175,024 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2019 171,783 miles

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

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

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

Pass 12 Oct 2018 169,469 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear n/s/r jacking point rubber is missing and area is corroded

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement o/s/f lower arm rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 13 Oct 2017 163,996 miles

n/s/r jacking point plastic block missing and surface rust

o/s/f lower wishbone rear bush worn

Fail 12 Oct 2017 163,994 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

n/s/r jacking point plastic block missing and surface rust

o/s/f lower wishbone rear bush worn

Pass 29 Nov 2016 158,147 miles

Nearside Rear Body has slight corrosion jacking point (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Oil leak from engine ()

Fail 29 Nov 2016 158,147 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear Body has slight corrosion jacking point (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Oil leak from engine ()

Fail 10 Nov 2016 157,783 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive jacking point (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

Oil leak from engine ()

Pass 25 Nov 2015 148,979 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2015 148,842 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 20 Nov 2014 139,932 miles

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

Fail 11 Nov 2014 139,923 miles

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

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

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

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

Pass 22 Nov 2013 131,518 miles

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

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

Fail 21 Nov 2013 131,518 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

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

Offside Rear coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

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

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

Pass 21 Nov 2012 123,397 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Fail 20 Nov 2012 123,397 miles

Offside Front Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1c)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Pass 18 Nov 2011 115,510 miles
Fail 16 Nov 2011 115,510 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 30 Nov 2010 107,118 miles

engine oil level low

oil leak around sump area

slight movement in both front lower ball joints

both rear tyres wearing low

covers fitted to both outer sills at time of test

surface rust on both front to rear brake pipes

Fail 30 Nov 2010 107,114 miles

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users (1.8.A.1a)

both rear tyres wearing low

covers fitted to both outer sills at time of test

engine oil level low

oil leak around sump area

slight movement in both front lower ball joints

surface rust on both front to rear brake pipes

Pass 2 Nov 2009 96,514 miles
Pass 18 Nov 2008 86,840 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2007 79,736 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 316?

Based on 1,210,990 MOT tests across 108,989 vehicles.

69.2%
Pass Rate
5,781
Miles/Year
38
Year Lifespan
108,989
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 71,150
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 70,761
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 45,241
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 39,617
parking brake recording little or no effort 33,703
Full BMW 316 reliability report

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E3 GXL is a 1998 BMW 316 in Black with a 1,596cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

Across all 1998 BMW 316 models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.1% with a typical mileage of 98,622 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 316 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 71,150 recorded failures. If you're considering buying E3 GXL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 316 typically stays on UK roads for around 38 years. At 28 years old, this BMW 316 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E3 GXL?

You can check the full history of E3 GXL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E3 GXL registered?

E3 GXL is a 1998 BMW 316, first registered on 11 December 1998.

Is E3 GXL safe to buy?

The MOT history for E3 GXL shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E3 GXL 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 E3 GXL. 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.