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J489 EMY

1991 BMW 3 Series

Grey Petrol 2494cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires15 Jun 2026
Tests22 (14 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate63.6%

Mileage

195,264 mi
Last recorded195,264 miles
Recorded on16 Jun 2025
Typical for 1991 BMW 3 Series122,236 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationJ489 EMY
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1991
ColourGrey
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

14 pass 8 fail
Pass 16 Jun 2025 195,264 miles
Pass 25 Jun 2022 194,863 miles
Pass 28 Feb 2020 194,838 miles
Pass 3 Jan 2019 194,711 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Front Prop shaft flexible coupling slightly deteriorated (6.1.7 (d) (i))

Lower Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 29 Jul 2017 194,687 miles

ALL FOUR BRAKE HOSES STARTING TO DETERIORATE

BOTH FRONT LOWER WISHBONE SLIGHT PLAY

OIL LEAK

UNDERBODY CORROSION

Pass 17 Jul 2016 194,226 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak ()

parking brake just met limit.

smell of fuel fume, no fault at time of test.

Fail 17 Jul 2016 194,226 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak ()

parking brake just met limit.

smell of fuel fume, no fault at time of test.

Pass 17 Jul 2015 190,591 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

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

Oil leak

centre prop rubber

fuel pipe rusty

Pass 7 Jul 2014 179,590 miles
Fail 1 Jul 2014 179,590 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

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

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

Oil leak

o/s/f body has slight corrosion

Fail 31 Oct 2012 179,293 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device mounting flange/sealing method defective (7.2.4c)

Nearside Rear Sub-frame synthetic bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Sub-frame synthetic bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Rear fog lamp switch faulty (1.3.1a)

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

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

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Pass 9 Dec 2011 177,104 miles
Fail 5 Dec 2011 177,104 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush 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 Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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)

o/s/r brake disc deteriorated

Pass 8 Dec 2010 168,297 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Fail 7 Dec 2010 168,297 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 16 Dec 2009 160,289 miles
Fail 7 Dec 2009 160,229 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Power steering pump leaking from a failed component (2.3.3b)

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

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

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

Pass 30 Oct 2008 153,105 miles
Fail 30 Oct 2008 153,105 miles

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

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

Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 11 Dec 2007 145,009 miles

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

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

Pass 17 Nov 2006 136,891 miles
Fail 16 Nov 2006 136,891 miles

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

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

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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J489 EMY is a 1991 BMW 3 Series in Grey with a 2,494cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.6%.

Across all 1991 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.7% with a typical mileage of 122,236 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 J489 EMY, 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 35 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 J489 EMY?

You can check the full history of J489 EMY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J489 EMY registered?

J489 EMY is a 1991 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 31 December 1991.

Is J489 EMY safe to buy?

The MOT history for J489 EMY shows 22 tests with a 63.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J489 EMY 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 J489 EMY. 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.