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L540 THF

1997 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires5 May 2026
Tests24 (16 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

169,024 mi
Last recorded169,024 miles
Recorded on6 May 2025
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

RegistrationL540 THF
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,398cc

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

16 pass 8 fail
Pass 6 May 2025 169,024 miles
Pass 2 Jul 2021 168,383 miles

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

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Fail 2 Jul 2021 168,383 miles

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

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Pass 1 Jun 2019 168,020 miles
Fail 1 Jun 2019 168,020 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Pass 25 May 2018 167,654 miles

Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

Pass 13 Feb 2017 165,652 miles

Fuel Pipe/s corroded ()

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

Fail 6 Feb 2017 165,610 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sills (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is severely distorted sill (2.4.A.3)

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

Fuel Pipe/s corroded ()

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

Pass 19 Feb 2016 164,364 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2015 163,063 miles

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

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

Fail 3 Mar 2015 163,063 miles

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

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

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

Pass 2 May 2014 162,236 miles
Fail 28 Apr 2014 162,230 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

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

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

Pass 12 Mar 2013 154,799 miles

Front Service brake juddering slightly (3.7.C.2)

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

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

front discs corroded

Pass 5 Mar 2012 147,912 miles

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

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Oil leak

front inner brake corroded

Fail 24 Feb 2012 147,671 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

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

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Oil leak

front inner brake corroded

Pass 16 Feb 2011 137,280 miles

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

Pass 9 Mar 2010 134,524 miles

Coolant leak

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

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 5 Mar 2009 126,274 miles
Pass 5 Mar 2008 123,880 miles

Nail in rear tyre

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)

Fail 3 Mar 2008 123,877 miles

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

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

Nail in rear tyre

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 1 Mar 2007 114,744 miles
Fail 23 Feb 2007 114,742 miles

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

Nearside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

under body covers fitted at time of test

Pass 14 Feb 2006 103,508 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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L540 THF is a 1997 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 L540 THF, 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 L540 THF?

You can check the full history of L540 THF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L540 THF registered?

L540 THF is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 14 January 1997.

Is L540 THF safe to buy?

The MOT history for L540 THF shows 24 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L540 THF 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 L540 THF. 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.