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H979 BEW

1990 BMW 3 Series

Red Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Apr 2027
Tests18 (14 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

197,200 mi
Last recorded197,200 miles
Recorded on3 Apr 2026
Typical for 1990 BMW 3 Series120,696 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationH979 BEW
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1990
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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

14 pass 4 fail
Pass 3 Apr 2026 197,200 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive both outer sills (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Fail 3 Apr 2026 197,193 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive both outer sills (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 14 Mar 2025 194,287 miles

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Mar 2024 191,840 miles

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

Pass 16 Mar 2023 188,434 miles

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

Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

very slight oil leak from power steering pipe

Pass 18 Mar 2022 185,195 miles
Pass 16 Dec 2014 182,094 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Fail 8 Dec 2014 182,084 miles

Driver's seat cannot be secured in the upright position. (6.2.A.2)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage insecure (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Electrical wiring inadequately supported (1.9.2a)

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

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Pass 7 Dec 2013 177,781 miles

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

Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Fail 30 Nov 2013

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

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

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

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

Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 8 Dec 2012 174,534 miles
Fail 7 Dec 2012 174,536 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Rear Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Pass 3 Nov 2011 169,921 miles

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

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

n/s front tyre worn on inside egies

Pass 3 Nov 2010 161,331 miles
Pass 29 Sep 2009 152,956 miles

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

Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

Pass 2 Oct 2008 145,533 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2007 135,199 miles

nearside head lamp cracked

Pass 14 Sep 2006 121,893 miles

n/s headlamp glass broken

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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H979 BEW is a 1990 BMW 3 Series in Red with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

Across all 1990 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.0% with a typical mileage of 120,696 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 H979 BEW, 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 36 years old, this BMW 3 Series is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of H979 BEW?

You can check the full history of H979 BEW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H979 BEW registered?

H979 BEW is a 1990 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 17 October 1990.

Is H979 BEW safe to buy?

The MOT history for H979 BEW shows 18 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H979 BEW 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 H979 BEW. 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.