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P138 HJB

1997 BMW 540

Silver Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires18 May 2019
Tests22 (13 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate59.1%

Mileage

317,732 mi
Last recorded317,732 miles
Recorded on19 May 2018
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP138 HJB
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourSilver
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

13 pass 9 fail
Pass 19 May 2018 317,732 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside washer jet blocked

Oil leak ()

front to rear fuel pipe corroded

Pass 16 Feb 2017 317,100 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Fail 11 Feb 2017 317,090 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Pass 5 Mar 2016 315,504 miles

Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced both (1.7.5a)

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive offside rear outer sill (2.4.A.3)

Fail 7 Mar 2015 300,942 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 7 Mar 2015 300,942 miles
Pass 19 Feb 2014 284,501 miles

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

handbrake performace only just met requirements

nearside front tyre slight cut outer wall

Fail 18 Feb 2014 284,500 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Centre Rear Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Upper Radius arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

nearside front tyre slight cut outer wall

Pass 19 Feb 2013 267,039 miles
Fail 16 Feb 2013 267,035 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Pass 18 Feb 2012 250,590 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 9 Mar 2011 235,511 miles

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

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

Fail 8 Mar 2011 235,511 miles

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

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

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

Pass 12 Feb 2010 215,988 miles

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

Fail 12 Feb 2010 215,988 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 6 Mar 2009 195,270 miles

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)

Fail 6 Mar 2009 195,270 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Upper Tie bar/rod has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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)

Pass 29 Feb 2008 170,532 miles
Fail 29 Feb 2008 170,532 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Pass 10 Mar 2007 148,213 miles

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)

Pass 3 Mar 2006 125,473 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2006 125,473 miles

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Nearside Rear Upper Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Upper Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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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P138 HJB is a 1997 BMW 540 in Silver with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.1%.

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 P138 HJB, 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 P138 HJB?

You can check the full history of P138 HJB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P138 HJB registered?

P138 HJB is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 10 March 1997.

Is P138 HJB safe to buy?

The MOT history for P138 HJB shows 22 tests with a 59.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P138 HJB 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 P138 HJB. 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.