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N190 DNA

1996 BMW 518

Blue Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Oct 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

88,587 mi
Last recorded88,587 miles
Recorded on28 Oct 2025
Typical for 1996 BMW 518126,076 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

RegistrationN190 DNA
MakeBMW
Model518
Year1996
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

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 28 Oct 2025 88,587 miles

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

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

Fail 24 Oct 2025 88,585 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting corroded and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn rear arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 10 Oct 2024 87,416 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting corroded but its strength is not seriously reduced (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 10 Oct 2023 85,216 miles

Nearside Front Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

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

Nearside Rear Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

Offside Front Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

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

Pass 12 Oct 2022 82,340 miles

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

Pass 6 Jan 2021 80,901 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

Pass 27 Jun 2019 75,485 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 27 Jun 2019 75,479 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 20 Jul 2018 71,474 miles

fuel pipes corroded

Fail 17 Jul 2018 71,473 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate (1.6 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt trailing arm (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

fuel pipes corroded

Fail 15 Jun 2018 71,367 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate (1.6 (a))

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen materially affected by an obstruction sun visor (3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn creaking (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Jun 2017 67,618 miles

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

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

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

wiper noises

Pass 19 May 2016
Fail 19 May 2016

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

Pass 11 Jun 2015 60,947 miles
Pass 18 Jun 2014 58,861 miles
Pass 19 Jun 2013 56,346 miles
Pass 12 Jun 2012 54,502 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2012 54,502 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 14 Jun 2011 52,628 miles
Fail 14 Jun 2011 52,628 miles

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

Pass 15 Jun 2010 50,830 miles
Pass 16 Jun 2009 47,971 miles
Pass 18 Jun 2008 45,869 miles
Pass 19 Jun 2007 43,587 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2007 43,587 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Pass 13 Jun 2006 41,182 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 518?

Based on 62,660 MOT tests across 8,904 vehicles.

74.0%
Pass Rate
6,367
Miles/Year
41
Year Lifespan
8,904
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 3,373
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,837
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 1,465
position lamp(s) not working 1,178
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases 1,104
Full BMW 518 reliability report

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N190 DNA is a 1996 BMW 518 in Blue with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

Across all 1996 BMW 518 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.3% with a typical mileage of 126,076 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 518 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 3,373 recorded failures. If you're considering buying N190 DNA, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 518 typically stays on UK roads for around 41 years. At 30 years old, this BMW 518 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of N190 DNA?

You can check the full history of N190 DNA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N190 DNA registered?

N190 DNA is a 1996 BMW 518, first registered on 28 June 1996.

Is N190 DNA safe to buy?

The MOT history for N190 DNA shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N190 DNA 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 N190 DNA. 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.