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P38 PLR

1997 BMW 316

Red Petrol 1596cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Aug 2027
Tests25 (18 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate72%

Mileage

64,128 mi
Last recorded64,128 miles
Recorded on15 Aug 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

RegistrationP38 PLR
MakeBMW
Model316
Year1997
ColourRed
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

18 pass 7 fail
Pass 15 Aug 2026 64,128 miles

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both slightly damaged (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 4 Jun 2025 62,057 miles

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 3 Apr 2024 52,812 miles

Nearside Rear 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))

Pass 21 Mar 2023 47,597 miles
Pass 8 Apr 2019 47,282 miles

offside and nearside rear brake pipes corroded at unions

offside front brake pipe corroded at union

travel in footbrake

Fail 4 Apr 2019 47,277 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases rear pipe to silencer (6.1.2 (a))

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

offside and nearside rear brake pipes corroded at unions

offside front brake pipe corroded at union

travel in footbrake

Pass 11 Apr 2018 46,724 miles

all rear brake pipes corroded at unions

front no plate deteriorated - recommend replacement

Pass 20 Apr 2017 46,082 miles

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

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

Fail 20 Apr 2017 46,075 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly damaged (2.2.D.2b)

Pass 26 Apr 2016 44,584 miles

all rear brake pipes corroded at unions

Fail 15 Apr 2016 44,514 miles

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill at jacking point (2.4.A.3)

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

all rear brake pipes corroded at unions

Pass 14 Apr 2015 43,126 miles

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

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

Fail 13 Apr 2015 43,098 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 23 Apr 2014 41,488 miles
Fail 17 Apr 2014 41,468 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 15 Apr 2013 40,521 miles
Pass 20 Apr 2012 39,357 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2011 37,656 miles
Pass 18 Apr 2010 35,773 miles
Fail 14 Apr 2010 35,768 miles

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

offside windscreen chipped

Pass 21 Mar 2009 34,512 miles

slight exhaust leak from rear silencer

slight freeplay in offside front lower ball joint

Pass 14 Mar 2008 31,698 miles
Fail 14 Mar 2008 31,690 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Pass 11 Mar 2007 29,950 miles
Pass 31 Mar 2006 29,118 miles

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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P38 PLR is a 1997 BMW 316 in Red with a 1,596cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72%.

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 P38 PLR, 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 P38 PLR?

You can check the full history of P38 PLR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P38 PLR registered?

P38 PLR is a 1997 BMW 316, first registered on 28 April 1997.

Is P38 PLR safe to buy?

The MOT history for P38 PLR shows 25 tests with a 72% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P38 PLR 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 P38 PLR. 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.