CarVerify

Free Car Check

J901 FMV

1991 BMW 3 Series

Blue Petrol 1796cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Apr 2027
Tests21 (13 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate61.9%

Mileage

153,197 mi
Last recorded153,197 miles
Recorded on3 Apr 2026
Typical for 1991 BMW 3 Series122,236 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £12.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ901 FMV
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1991
ColourBlue
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

13 pass 8 fail
Pass 3 Apr 2026 153,197 miles

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

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

Rear Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 28 Mar 2025 145,016 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both (1.1.11 (c))

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule all (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

brake pedal has extra travel

Fail 19 Mar 2025 145,005 miles

Nearside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Steering column flexible coupling is excessively deteriorated (2.2.2 (c))

Steering rack has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel to the extent that safe steering is affected (steering rack fitted) (2.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both (1.1.11 (c))

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule all (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

brake pedal has extra travel

Pass 19 Oct 2016 110,184 miles
Fail 14 Oct 2016 142,798 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Fail 21 Jul 2016 142,401 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

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

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

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

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

Pass 7 Jul 2015 139,425 miles

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

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

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

Fail 30 Jun 2015 139,418 miles

Driver's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

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

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

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

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

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

Pass 7 Jul 2014 137,468 miles

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

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

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (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 Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

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

Fail 4 Jul 2014 137,466 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

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

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (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 Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

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

Pass 20 Jun 2013 135,016 miles

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

front tyres wearing unevenly

metal pipes corroding , includes brake pipes

Pass 21 Jun 2012 132,208 miles

Items removed from driver's view prior to test

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 20 Jun 2012 132,201 miles

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

Offside Rear Sub-frame attachment rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Pass 17 Jun 2011 129,399 miles

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

engine damp with oil

nearside rear wheel bearing noisy

Pass 7 Jun 2010 126,118 miles

Offside Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 8 Jun 2009 125,850 miles

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

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

Fail 8 Jun 2009 125,850 miles

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

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

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

Pass 9 Jun 2008 125,365 miles

all tyres begining to crack on side walls

Pass 14 Jun 2007 124,938 miles

see previous vt32

Fail 31 May 2007 124,933 miles

Centre Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 18 May 2006 123,080 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

J901 FMV is a 1991 BMW 3 Series in Blue with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.9%.

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 J901 FMV, 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 J901 FMV?

You can check the full history of J901 FMV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J901 FMV registered?

J901 FMV is a 1991 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 18 November 1991.

Is J901 FMV safe to buy?

The MOT history for J901 FMV shows 21 tests with a 61.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J901 FMV 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 J901 FMV. 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.