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J25 LEO

1997 BMW 540

Green Petrol 3982cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Jun 2027
Tests24 (21 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate87.5%

Mileage

182,676 mi
Last recorded182,676 miles
Recorded on18 Jun 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationJ25 LEO
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,982cc

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

21 pass 3 fail
Pass 18 Jun 2026 182,676 miles
Fail 17 Jun 2026 182,673 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 19 Jun 2025 173,536 miles

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

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Pass 26 Apr 2023 170,771 miles

Front Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Fail 26 Apr 2023 170,771 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 6 Apr 2022 165,744 miles

Nearside Front brake caliper anti rattle clip missing

Offside Front brake caliper anti rattle clip not fitted correctly

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

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

Pass 3 Mar 2021 164,223 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 3 Mar 2020 160,474 miles

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

Pass 29 Mar 2019 154,006 miles
Pass 12 Mar 2018 144,158 miles
Pass 21 Feb 2017 130,613 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2016 120,418 miles
Pass 14 Dec 2015 119,666 miles

both front tyres worn on edges,nearly on wear bars and perished

front brake reaction bushes worn

headlight lenses pitted

rear metal brake pipes corroded

Fail 3 Dec 2015 119,663 miles

Nearside Front Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking pipes (2.3.3b)

Nearside Front Steering pivot point has excessive play steering idler arm marked (2.2.B.1g)

Power steering fluid level low, but not below minimum (2.3.1)

both front tyres worn on edges,nearly on wear bars and perished

front brake reaction bushes worn

headlight lenses pitted

rear metal brake pipes corroded

Pass 25 Nov 2014 116,142 miles

both front tyres worn on edges and perished

both headlights misted

slight play nearside front steering idler

some play front brake reaction bushes

Pass 6 Dec 2013 112,778 miles

both headlights badly misted

engine area oil leak

front tyres perished

Pass 20 Nov 2012 108,482 miles

Nearside Front Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated rubber bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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

Offside Front Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated rubber bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak

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

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

nearside headlight adjusters broken (aim ok)

Pass 2 Dec 2011 104,197 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

rear brake discs corroded on braking surface

wiper blades starting to smear and noisey in operation

Pass 8 Dec 2010 98,681 miles

engine oil leak onto steering coupling

rear discs corroded

Pass 7 Dec 2009 93,607 miles

nearside front tyre badly worn outer edge

oil leak offside rear engine

rear pads low

slight nearside front exhaust leak

Pass 26 Nov 2008 87,184 miles

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

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

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

rear metal exhaust heatshield adrift and rubbing on propshaft

Pass 27 Nov 2007 79,867 miles
Pass 14 Sep 2007 79,128 miles

Front offside tyre worn on outer edge.

Headlights have level beam

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Rear Brake pads appear worn,further check required

Pass 6 Jul 2006 69,981 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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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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J25 LEO is a 1997 BMW 540 in Green with a 3,982cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 87.5%.

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 J25 LEO, 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 J25 LEO?

You can check the full history of J25 LEO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J25 LEO registered?

J25 LEO is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is J25 LEO safe to buy?

The MOT history for J25 LEO shows 24 tests with a 87.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J25 LEO 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 J25 LEO. 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.