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J111 OBW

1998 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Dec 2026
Tests24 (19 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate79.2%

Mileage

115,090 mi
Last recorded115,090 miles
Recorded on12 Dec 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW 3 Series106,396 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

RegistrationJ111 OBW
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1998
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,494cc

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 5 fail
Pass 12 Dec 2025 115,090 miles
Pass 13 Dec 2024 109,188 miles

Front Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Offside Front Lower Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Lower sill (jacking point (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Inner sill (jacking point) (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Fail 13 Dec 2024 109,188 miles

Front Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Offside Front Lower Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Lower sill (jacking point (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Inner sill (jacking point) (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Power steering fluid reservoir empty (2.1.5 (b) (ii))

Pass 18 Nov 2023 103,888 miles
Pass 20 Aug 2022 98,750 miles
Fail 20 Aug 2022 98,750 miles

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

Pass 5 Aug 2021 92,540 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both sides, at hose (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Offside Rear Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning (4.2.1 (a) (i))

Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both sides, trailing arm bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Aug 2020 87,683 miles

Nearside parking brake has some imbalance

Pass 6 Aug 2019 84,676 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2018 80,036 miles
Pass 7 Mar 2017 78,522 miles

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

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

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

Offside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush front bush (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak engine ()

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Pass 10 Mar 2016 76,702 miles
Fail 10 Mar 2016 76,702 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Pass 11 Mar 2015 73,800 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Fail 10 Mar 2015 73,800 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 28 Oct 2013 70,470 miles
Pass 22 Oct 2012 67,589 miles
Fail 22 Oct 2011 63,731 miles

Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

Suspension joint nearside lower dust cover split/missing

Pass 22 Oct 2011 63,731 miles

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

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

Suspension joint nearside lower dust cover split/missing

Pass 22 Oct 2010 60,689 miles

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

Pass 9 Oct 2009 56,642 miles

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)

Pass 15 Oct 2008 50,765 miles

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

Pass 3 Nov 2007 48,254 miles

nearside front tyre worn on inner edge

Pass 23 Oct 2006 44,384 miles

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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J111 OBW is a 1998 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 79.2%.

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 J111 OBW, 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 J111 OBW?

You can check the full history of J111 OBW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J111 OBW registered?

J111 OBW is a 1998 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is J111 OBW safe to buy?

The MOT history for J111 OBW shows 24 tests with a 79.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J111 OBW 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 J111 OBW. 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.