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E3 JLY

1998 BMW 3 Series

Blue Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Dec 2026
Tests24 (20 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate83.3%

Mileage

71,890 mi
Last recorded71,890 miles
Recorded on2 Dec 2025
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

RegistrationE3 JLY
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1998
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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 4 fail
Pass 2 Dec 2025 71,890 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Inner sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Offside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Inner sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 6 Dec 2024 68,301 miles

Both Front Wings Have Corrosion And Holed Lower Near Sills

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear 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))

Fail 29 Nov 2024 68,298 miles

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

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

Offside Front Outer Brake lining(s) incorrectly mounted (1.1.13 (c)) DANGEROUS

Both Front Wings Have Corrosion And Holed Lower Near Sills

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear 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))

Pass 2 Dec 2023 64,788 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Offside Front Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 3 Dec 2022 62,149 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

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

Fail 21 Apr 2022 62,108 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength chassis within 30cm of suspension arm mount (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Pass 16 Mar 2021 60,198 miles

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Fail 13 Mar 2021 60,193 miles

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure inner sidewall (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 27 Feb 2020 57,557 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2019 54,292 miles
Pass 9 Mar 2018 51,144 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2017 46,794 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Fail 3 Mar 2017 46,794 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 14 Mar 2016 43,685 miles

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

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

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

Pass 13 Mar 2015 42,478 miles
Pass 13 Feb 2014 42,138 miles

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

small cut to nearside front tyre sidewall

Pass 13 Feb 2013 41,810 miles

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

Pass 10 Feb 2012 41,407 miles
Pass 21 Feb 2011 41,104 miles

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

Pass 12 Feb 2010 40,719 miles
Pass 11 Feb 2009 40,222 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2008 39,726 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2007 38,988 miles

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

Pass 13 Feb 2006 38,018 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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E3 JLY is a 1998 BMW 3 Series in Blue with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 83.3%.

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 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 E3 JLY, 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 E3 JLY?

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

What year was E3 JLY registered?

E3 JLY is a 1998 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 25 November 1998.

Is E3 JLY safe to buy?

The MOT history for E3 JLY shows 24 tests with a 83.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E3 JLY 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 JLY. 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.