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E3 SXE

1998 BMW 3 Series

Blue Petrol 1896cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Oct 2026
Tests24 (16 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

130,416 mi
Last recorded130,416 miles
Recorded on6 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW 3 Series106,396 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

RegistrationE3 SXE
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1998
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,896cc

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

16 pass 8 fail
Pass 6 Oct 2025 130,416 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Fail 6 Oct 2025 130,416 miles

Offside Rear Road wheel fixing missing (5.2.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing so rough it is likely to overheat or break up (5.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Pass 2 Jul 2024 128,926 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge low inner edge of tread (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 1 Jul 2024 128,926 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge low inner edge of tread (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 28 Jun 2023 127,135 miles

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

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

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear (5.2.3 (e))

both front tyres very close to fouling front suspension legs

plastic sill covers fitted

Pass 3 May 2022 125,175 miles

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 28 Apr 2022 125,070 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 8 May 2021 121,663 miles

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 24 Apr 2021 121,151 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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 11 May 2020 117,977 miles

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

Pass 1 Jun 2016 117,175 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 2 Apr 2014 110,948 miles

rear exhaust deteriating

Pass 8 Apr 2013 108,809 miles

rear exhaust deteriating

Fail 4 Apr 2012 107,796 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

rear exhaust deteriating

Pass 4 Apr 2012 107,796 miles

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

rear exhaust deteriating

Pass 12 Apr 2011 106,895 miles

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

Fail 12 Apr 2011 106,895 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Pass 20 Apr 2010 105,509 miles

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

Fail 15 Apr 2010 105,502 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 22 Apr 2009 103,722 miles

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

Pass 9 Apr 2008 101,442 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2007 99,719 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2006 97,248 miles
Fail 24 Apr 2006 97,248 miles

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

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

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 SXE is a 1998 BMW 3 Series in Blue with a 1,896cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 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 SXE, 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 SXE?

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

What year was E3 SXE registered?

E3 SXE is a 1998 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 30 April 1998.

Is E3 SXE safe to buy?

The MOT history for E3 SXE shows 24 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E3 SXE 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 SXE. 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.