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E3 OAF

1990 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 1990cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires16 Jul 2026
Tests20 (13 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate65%

Mileage

117,686 mi
Last recorded117,686 miles
Recorded on17 Jul 2025
Typical for 1990 BMW 3 Series120,696 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 OAF
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1990
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,990cc

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

13 pass 7 fail
Pass 17 Jul 2025 117,686 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2022 117,686 miles

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

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

Pass 29 Oct 2021 117,686 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2020 117,686 miles

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

Nearside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Fail 27 Oct 2020 117,686 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Headlamp has a product on the lens which changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow (4.1.4 (b))

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

Nearside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

Offside Headlamp has a product on the lens which changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow (4.1.4 (b))

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

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Pass 15 Apr 2019 117,686 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 6 Apr 2018 117,686 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 31 Jan 2017 117,686 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2015 117,686 miles
Fail 5 Jun 2015 117,686 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Driver's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

Nearside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

Offside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

Pass 20 Jul 2013 117,686 miles

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

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

Pass 30 Jul 2012 117,686 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2012 117,686 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

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

Offside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

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

Brake servo corroded but not excessively weakened (3.6.A.2b)

Front Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) slightly corroded (2.3.2)

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Pass 9 Jul 2008 117,680 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2008 117,680 miles

Offside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Pass 1 Aug 2007 117,556 miles
Fail 6 Jul 2007 117,555 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Fail 2 Jul 2007 117,552 miles

Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the left. (1.8)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

drivers seat back becoming insecure

Pass 13 Apr 2006 117,353 miles
Fail 11 Apr 2006 117,353 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Offside Power steering component(s) leaking from a failed seal (2.3.3b)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

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 OAF is a 1990 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 1,990cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65%.

Across all 1990 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.0% with a typical mileage of 120,696 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 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 OAF, 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 36 years old, this BMW 3 Series is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E3 OAF?

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

What year was E3 OAF registered?

E3 OAF is a 1990 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 17 January 1990.

Is E3 OAF safe to buy?

The MOT history for E3 OAF shows 20 tests with a 65% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E3 OAF 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 OAF. 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.