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E3 XAF

1998 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Mar 2027
Tests17 (13 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate76.5%

Mileage

182,051 mi
Last recorded182,051 miles
Recorded on4 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW 3 Series106,396 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationE3 XAF
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1998
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,793cc

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 4 fail
Pass 4 Mar 2026 182,051 miles
Pass 18 May 2024 181,903 miles

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

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

rear seats removed

Pass 17 May 2023 180,828 miles
Fail 31 Mar 2016 180,815 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Electronic stability system warning lamp indicates a fault (3.4.1c)

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

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

Front Lower compliance bushes soft

Pass 24 Apr 2015 180,473 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear brake pipes corroding

Pass 31 Mar 2014 179,262 miles

Front wipers smearing

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

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 12 Apr 2013 171,949 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

Off side rear tyre getting low on tread

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Pass 17 Apr 2012 163,207 miles

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

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

front brake imbalance just within limitsa of 25% reading is 23%

Pass 16 Apr 2011 153,014 miles
Pass 22 Apr 2010 146,768 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

front no plate cracked

wiper blades starting to deteriorate

Fail 14 Apr 2010 146,438 miles

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

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

damage to front number plate

os front fog lamp lens cracked and ns front fog lamp lens missing

Pass 10 Apr 2009 129,597 miles
Fail 10 Apr 2009 129,597 miles

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

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

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

Pass 11 Apr 2008 120,318 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

front and rear brake discs wearing

front registration plate cracked

nearside rear inner sidelight innoperative

nearside rear shockabsorber protective shroud damaged

offside front fog lamp glass cracked

plastic outer sill covers fitted

Fail 9 Apr 2008 120,318 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

front and rear brake discs wearing

front registration plate cracked

nearside rear inner sidelight innoperative

nearside rear shockabsorber protective shroud damaged

offside front fog lamp glass cracked

plastic outer sill covers fitted

Pass 11 Apr 2007 103,128 miles
Pass 22 May 2006 96,222 miles

slight wear in inner steering rack joints

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 XAF is a 1998 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.5%.

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 XAF, 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 XAF?

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

What year was E3 XAF registered?

E3 XAF is a 1998 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is E3 XAF safe to buy?

The MOT history for E3 XAF shows 17 tests with a 76.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E3 XAF 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 XAF. 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.