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P253 RSX

1997 BMW 540

Silver Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Aug 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

77,929 mi
Last recorded77,929 miles
Recorded on25 Aug 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 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

RegistrationP253 RSX
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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 25 Aug 2025 77,929 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2024 75,919 miles

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

Nearside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

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

Offside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Pass 29 Aug 2023 75,769 miles
Pass 10 Aug 2022 75,679 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2021 75,446 miles
Fail 23 Aug 2021 75,443 miles

Front Brake disc significantly and obviously worn (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 235/35/18 (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 265/35/18 (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Pass 18 Aug 2020 75,352 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both main front to rear along length of vehicle (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both right on legal limit ( 265/35 R18 ) (5.2.3 (e))

Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working High level (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Fail 17 Aug 2020 75,351 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt upper rear (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both main front to rear along length of vehicle (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both right on legal limit ( 265/35 R18 ) (5.2.3 (e))

Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working High level (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 12 Aug 2019 74,949 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play drop link (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear tyres 265/35/zr18 (5.2.3 (e))

both front brake discs showing corrosion

high level stop light not working

Pass 16 Aug 2018 74,444 miles

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

Nearside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear (5.2.3 (e))

front brake discs corroded

high level stop lamp inop

Pass 10 Aug 2017 74,248 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded both front to rears (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a ball joint drop link (2.4.G.2)

both rear tyres on 2mm

front brake discs slight corrosion

plastic engine cover fitted

plastic undertrays fitted

Pass 10 Aug 2016 73,912 miles

Nearside Brake pipe slightly corroded front to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded front to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a ball joint drop link (2.4.G.2)

both rear tyres on 2mm

Pass 20 Aug 2015 73,588 miles

Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim both (4.2.A.1a)

Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim both (4.2.A.1a)

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

Fail 18 Aug 2015 73,588 miles

Nearside Rear Outer Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bearing lower rear of rear (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Outer Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bearing lower rear of rear (2.4.G.2)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid not hitting screen (8.2.3)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim both (4.2.A.1a)

Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim both (4.2.A.1a)

all four tyres on wear bars

Pass 29 Oct 2013 72,458 miles

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

Pass 31 Oct 2012 71,901 miles

Both main front to rear brake pipes corroded along floor and around fuel tank.

Nearside front tyre soft

Small cut in Nearside rear tyre side-wall ( 265/35 R18 )

Squeak from top of steering column ( Suspect air-bag clock spring )

Fail 29 Oct 2012 71,897 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

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

Both main front to rear brake pipes corroded along floor and around fuel tank.

Nearside front tyre soft

Small cut in Nearside rear tyre side-wall ( 265/35 R18 )

Squeak from top of steering column ( Suspect air-bag clock spring )

Pass 27 Oct 2011 71,255 miles

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

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 4 Oct 2010 71,078 miles

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

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 23 Aug 2010 71,075 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 13 Apr 2009 69,674 miles

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

slight oil leak steering box area

Pass 21 Mar 2008 69,067 miles
Pass 13 Feb 2007 67,880 miles
Fail 12 Feb 2007 67,880 miles

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

brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 23 Jan 2006 65,169 miles

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

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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P253 RSX is a 1997 BMW 540 in Silver with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 P253 RSX, 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 P253 RSX?

You can check the full history of P253 RSX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P253 RSX registered?

P253 RSX is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 8 January 1997.

Is P253 RSX safe to buy?

The MOT history for P253 RSX shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P253 RSX 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 P253 RSX. 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.