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N2 VWB

1997 BMW 316

Silver Petrol 1596cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Feb 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

43,666 mi
Last recorded43,666 miles
Recorded on12 Jan 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

RegistrationN2 VWB
MakeBMW
Model316
Year1997
ColourSilver
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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 12 Jan 2026 43,666 miles
Pass 7 Feb 2025 43,021 miles

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

Pass 25 Jan 2024 41,856 miles
Fail 18 Jan 2024 41,856 miles

Rear Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 7 Feb 2023 40,840 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2023 40,838 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

front suspension arms corroded

Pass 9 Feb 2022 40,068 miles
Fail 1 Feb 2022 40,066 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 13 Jan 2021 39,384 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2021 39,384 miles

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

Pass 17 Jul 2019 36,609 miles
Fail 16 May 2019 36,520 miles

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting missing (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting missing (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 21 Mar 2018 35,306 miles
Pass 11 Apr 2017 34,728 miles

Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened both front struts (2.4.G.1)

Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened both suspension arms (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases corroded (7.1.2)

Pass 5 Apr 2016 33,925 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

Offside Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

rear exhaust deteriorated

Pass 23 Mar 2015 33,228 miles

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

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

rear exhaust corroded

Fail 23 Mar 2015 33,228 miles

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

rear exhaust corroded

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

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

Pass 31 Mar 2014 32,509 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage 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 Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

Pass 4 Apr 2013 31,592 miles

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

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

Pass 5 Apr 2012 30,687 miles
Pass 30 Mar 2011 29,669 miles
Fail 24 Mar 2011 29,663 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 25 Mar 2010 28,646 miles

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

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

Pass 24 Mar 2009 26,589 miles
Pass 27 Mar 2008 23,459 miles
Pass 27 Mar 2007 21,981 miles
Fail 22 Mar 2007 21,981 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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

brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Pass 23 Mar 2006 20,698 miles
Fail 22 Mar 2006 20,698 miles

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

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

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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N2 VWB is a 1997 BMW 316 in Silver with a 1,596cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 N2 VWB, 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 N2 VWB?

You can check the full history of N2 VWB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N2 VWB registered?

N2 VWB is a 1997 BMW 316, first registered on 26 March 1997.

Is N2 VWB safe to buy?

The MOT history for N2 VWB shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N2 VWB 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 N2 VWB. 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.