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L29 SWA

1997 BMW 316

Blue Petrol 1596cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 May 2027
Tests20 (14 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

105,176 mi
Last recorded105,176 miles
Recorded on8 May 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW 316102,710 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

RegistrationL29 SWA
MakeBMW
Model316
Year1997
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,596cc

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 6 fail
Pass 8 May 2026 105,176 miles

Fuel Pipe/s corroded ()

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive arb d bush mount (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Inner Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 17 Sep 2022 149,003 miles

Brake lever pivots slightly worn (1.1.1 (b))

Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security (6.2.2 (d) (i))

under body surface rust

Pass 28 Aug 2021 141,098 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2020 132,365 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Pass 16 Sep 2019 126,791 miles

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated n/ds and o/s (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 18 Sep 2018
Fail 7 Sep 2018

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn wishbone mounting bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Pass 8 Sep 2017 118,024 miles

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

outer sill covered

outer sills covered

Pass 4 Oct 2016 112,436 miles

Offside Rear position lamp(s) has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.1.A.3b)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 4 Oct 2016 112,436 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

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

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

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

Offside Rear position lamp(s) has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.1.A.3b)

Offside front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 13 Oct 2015 106,711 miles

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

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (3.5.1i)

front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

Fail 12 Oct 2015 106,708 miles

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

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

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (3.5.1i)

front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

Pass 28 May 2010 96,470 miles

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

odd type lower suspension arms fitted to front.

Pass 3 Jun 2009 90,214 miles

long handbrake travel.

surface rust on offside front inner wing brake pipe.

Fail 29 May 2009 90,204 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

surface rust on offside front inner wing brake pipe.

Pass 4 Jun 2008 83,592 miles
Pass 30 May 2007 79,341 miles
Fail 24 May 2007 79,330 miles

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

Nearside rear brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.5b)

Offside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Offside Front Lower Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 24 May 2006 73,560 miles
Fail 24 May 2006 73,559 miles

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

nail in tyre

How Reliable is the BMW 316?

Based on 1,210,990 MOT tests across 108,989 vehicles.

69.2%
Pass Rate
5,781
Miles/Year
38
Year Lifespan
108,989
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 71,150
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 70,761
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 45,241
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 39,617
parking brake recording little or no effort 33,703
Full BMW 316 reliability report

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L29 SWA is a 1997 BMW 316 in Blue with a 1,596cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

Across all 1997 BMW 316 models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.3% with a typical mileage of 102,710 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 316 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 71,150 recorded failures. If you're considering buying L29 SWA, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 316 typically stays on UK roads for around 38 years. At 29 years old, this BMW 316 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of L29 SWA?

You can check the full history of L29 SWA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L29 SWA registered?

L29 SWA is a 1997 BMW 316, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is L29 SWA safe to buy?

The MOT history for L29 SWA shows 20 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L29 SWA 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 L29 SWA. 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.