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F12 ORO

1997 BMW 540

Grey Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Feb 2027
Tests23 (18 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate78.3%

Mileage

144,576 mi
Last recorded144,576 miles
Recorded on21 Feb 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 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

RegistrationF12 ORO
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourGrey
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,398cc

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 5 fail
Pass 21 Feb 2026 144,576 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2025 139,887 miles
Pass 23 Jan 2024 131,001 miles
Pass 2 Feb 2023 124,219 miles

Nearside Front Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Rear diff leaking

Pass 6 Jan 2022 123,513 miles

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

Under trays fitted

Pass 16 Dec 2020 121,754 miles

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

Pass 1 Jul 2019 120,732 miles

Nearside Front Upper shock absorber mounting different than off side front mount

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Sill guards and under trays fitted

Pass 4 Jul 2018 119,561 miles

Front suspension legs not a matching pair ,Nearside front either incorrectly fitted or not correct for this vehicle

Pass 3 Jul 2017 118,875 miles

Nearside rear tyre deteriorated/worn on inner edge/small cuts

Pass 23 Jun 2016 118,114 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded front to rear (over rear subframe) (3.6.B.2c)

ribbed belt slightly perished

Pass 30 Jun 2015 116,772 miles

Both sides rear brake pipes corroding above rear sub-frame.

Pass 3 Jul 2014 115,853 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 30 Jun 2014 115,850 miles

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

Rear Tyre(s) incorrect because different size tyres are fitted on the same axle. (4.1.A.1a)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

inner edge of offside rear tyre worn

Pass 5 Jul 2013 112,266 miles

fron tyres worn on the edge

Pass 5 Aug 2011 108,948 miles
Fail 1 Aug 2011 108,906 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Pass 16 Jul 2010 102,210 miles

both rear tyres wearing very low on inner edges not considered full depth tread from new

Fail 13 Jul 2010 102,208 miles

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

both rear tyres wearing very low on inner edges not considered full depth tread from new

Pass 10 Jan 2009 89,912 miles

both front tyres wearing uneven

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

Oil leak

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

both rear tyres worn heavy on inside edge tread not cut as deep

lower steering uj damp

nearside front anti roll bar linkage upper ball joint dust cover poor condition

power steer pipes from resevior damp

Fail 8 Jan 2009 89,866 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching by more than 10mm within zone 'A' (8.3.1b)

Offside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

Oil leak

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

both front tyres wearing uneven

both rear tyres worn heavy on inside edge tread not cut as deep

lower steering uj damp

nearside front anti roll bar linkage upper ball joint dust cover poor condition

power steer pipes from resevior damp

Pass 13 Dec 2007 77,429 miles
Fail 13 Dec 2007 77,429 miles

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Pass 3 Aug 2006 72,408 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 540?

Based on 50,016 MOT tests across 4,152 vehicles.

71.9%
Pass Rate
4,801
Miles/Year
33
Year Lifespan
4,152
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,881
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,341
Brake pipe excessively corroded 1,599
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,360
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 1,334
Full BMW 540 reliability report

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F12 ORO is a 1997 BMW 540 in Grey with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 78.3%.

Across all 1997 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.9% with a typical mileage of 117,944 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 540 fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,881 recorded failures. If you're considering buying F12 ORO, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 540 typically stays on UK roads for around 33 years. At 29 years old, this BMW 540 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of F12 ORO?

You can check the full history of F12 ORO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F12 ORO registered?

F12 ORO is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 10 March 1997.

Is F12 ORO safe to buy?

The MOT history for F12 ORO shows 23 tests with a 78.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F12 ORO 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 F12 ORO. 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.