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E596 MEG

1988 BMW 518

White Petrol 1766cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Mar 2027
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

136,334 mi
Last recorded136,334 miles
Recorded on11 Mar 2026
Typical for 1988 BMW 518131,570 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

RegistrationE596 MEG
MakeBMW
Model518
Year1988
ColourWhite
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,766cc

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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 11 Mar 2026 136,334 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated ball joint boot (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 19 Mar 2025 134,211 miles

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

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

Fail 21 Feb 2025 134,190 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 15 Feb 2024 132,294 miles

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

Pass 8 Mar 2023 131,095 miles
Fail 10 Feb 2023 131,088 miles

Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 18 Feb 2022 129,858 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

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

Pass 5 Feb 2021 129,063 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced body (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Pass 17 Feb 2020 127,777 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 25 Jan 2019 126,822 miles
Pass 29 Jan 2018 125,580 miles

Nearside Front jacking point weakend by corrosion

Oil leak ()

Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 10 Feb 2017 124,106 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded some (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak ()

Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 10 Feb 2017 124,102 miles

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

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

Brake pipe slightly corroded some (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak ()

Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 18 Feb 2016 121,656 miles

oil leak

rear brakes binding slightly

Pass 20 Feb 2015 116,544 miles
Pass 31 Mar 2014 109,755 miles
Fail 31 Mar 2014 109,750 miles

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

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

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

Pass 19 Apr 2013 101,931 miles

Nearside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 15 Mar 2012 95,824 miles

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

Offside Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Fail 15 Mar 2012 95,824 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 25 Mar 2011 90,411 miles
Pass 20 Apr 2010 84,540 miles

Battery insecure

Temporary fuel cap fitted

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 12 Apr 2010 84,518 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely maintaining the sealing arrangement (7.2.4b)

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

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

Battery insecure

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 13 Jun 2007 84,032 miles
Pass 27 Jun 2006 83,839 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 518?

Based on 62,660 MOT tests across 8,904 vehicles.

74.0%
Pass Rate
6,367
Miles/Year
41
Year Lifespan
8,904
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 3,373
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,837
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 1,465
position lamp(s) not working 1,178
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases 1,104
Full BMW 518 reliability report

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E596 MEG is a 1988 BMW 518 in White with a 1,766cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

Across all 1988 BMW 518 models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.2% with a typical mileage of 131,570 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 518 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 3,373 recorded failures. If you're considering buying E596 MEG, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 518 typically stays on UK roads for around 41 years. At 38 years old, this BMW 518 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E596 MEG?

You can check the full history of E596 MEG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E596 MEG registered?

E596 MEG is a 1988 BMW 518, first registered on 4 February 1988.

Is E596 MEG safe to buy?

The MOT history for E596 MEG shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E596 MEG 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 E596 MEG. 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.