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P685 AEL

1997 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires4 Jan 2016
Tests14 (9 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate64.3%

Mileage

Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 mi
4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP685 AEL
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourBlue
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

9 pass 5 fail
Pass 5 Jan 2015
Fail 31 Dec 2014

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

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

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

Nail in nearside rear tyre

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Fail 22 Dec 2014 175,094 miles

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

Electronic stability system warning lamp indicates a fault (3.4.1c)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Nearside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Oil leak

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

o/s n/s sill covers fitted

Pass 23 Dec 2013 166,942 miles
Fail 23 Dec 2013 166,942 miles

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

Oil leak

Pass 20 Aug 2012 163,295 miles
Fail 16 Aug 2012 163,292 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

front brakes release unevenly (3.7.B.4)

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 15 Jul 2011 154,492 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Inner Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

Pass 20 Jul 2010 146,783 miles

Front registration plate damaged.

Front tyres heavily worn on shoulders.

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

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

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

Oil leak from offside of engine.

Play in nearside rear hub outer pivot bushes (upper & lower)

Pass 6 Jul 2009 134,165 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

nearside rear tyre inner sidewall damaged

offside front steering track rod inner joint slight play

Pass 9 Jul 2008 126,394 miles

Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Jul 2007 116,460 miles

Offside Inner Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

both rear tyres very close to limit ( 1.7mm )

Fail 11 Jul 2007 116,447 miles

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Inner Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

both rear tyres very close to limit ( 1.7mm )

Pass 5 Jul 2006 102,213 miles

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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P685 AEL is a 1997 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 14 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.3%.

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 P685 AEL, 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 P685 AEL?

You can check the full history of P685 AEL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P685 AEL registered?

P685 AEL is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 1 January 1997.

Is P685 AEL safe to buy?

The MOT history for P685 AEL shows 14 tests with a 64.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P685 AEL 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 P685 AEL. 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.