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E540 JAY

1988 BMW 735

Beige Petrol 3430cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 Jan 2027
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

152,030 mi
Last recorded152,030 miles
Recorded on16 Jan 2026
Typical for 1988 BMW 735146,829 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

RegistrationE540 JAY
MakeBMW
Model735
Year1988
ColourBeige
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,430cc

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

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 16 Jan 2026 152,030 miles

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

Pass 10 Jan 2025 151,835 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2024 151,801 miles

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

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front 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))

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component reservoir (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 13 Jan 2023 151,253 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front 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))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component reservoir (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 6 Dec 2021 150,613 miles

front suspension bushes worn and perished

underside of vehicle rusty and weak in places

Pass 2 Sep 2020 150,314 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Brake hose slightly deteriorated ferrule corroded (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear sills rusty and weak

Offside Front 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))

Offside Rear sill rusty and weak

Fail 28 Aug 2020 150,312 miles

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Inner Brake hose slightly deteriorated ferrule corroded (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear sills rusty and weak

Offside Front 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))

Offside Rear sill rusty and weak

Pass 27 Aug 2019 149,105 miles

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

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

Offside Front 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))

gearbox oil leak

slight power steering leak

Fail 27 Aug 2019 149,103 miles

Nearside Front Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Central Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front 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))

slight power steering leak

Pass 11 Aug 2017 148,926 miles
Fail 11 Aug 2017 148,926 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working front & rear (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

Pass 21 Jul 2016 148,172 miles
Fail 14 Jul 2016 148,160 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is deliberately modified which significantly reduces the original strength SILL (5.2.6)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is deliberately modified which significantly reduces the original strength SILL (5.2.6)

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

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 23 Jul 2015 145,678 miles
Fail 23 Jul 2015 145,678 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

Pass 29 Jul 2014 144,615 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

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

Pass 14 Jun 2013 141,627 miles
Fail 14 Jun 2013 141,627 miles

All position lamps not working (1.1.A.3b)

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 6 Jun 2012 139,488 miles
Pass 23 Feb 2011 138,585 miles

All brake pipes & flexi ferruls well greased

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is slightly worn (3.1.5)

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

Pass 21 Nov 2009 134,898 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2008 127,204 miles

Front number plate damaged.

Pass 26 Jun 2007 124,800 miles
Pass 22 Jun 2006 122,908 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 735?

Based on 51,279 MOT tests across 5,701 vehicles.

73.1%
Pass Rate
4,383
Miles/Year
41
Year Lifespan
5,701
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,292
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 1,707
Brake pipe excessively corroded 1,582
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 1,324
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 1,237
Full BMW 735 reliability report

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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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E540 JAY is a 1988 BMW 735 in Beige with a 3,430cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 1988 BMW 735 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.3% with a typical mileage of 146,829 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 735 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 2,292 recorded failures. If you're considering buying E540 JAY, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 735 typically stays on UK roads for around 41 years. At 38 years old, this BMW 735 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E540 JAY?

You can check the full history of E540 JAY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E540 JAY registered?

E540 JAY is a 1988 BMW 735, first registered on 19 February 1988.

Is E540 JAY safe to buy?

The MOT history for E540 JAY shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E540 JAY 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 E540 JAY. 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.