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P788 PHU

1996 BMW 540

Green Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires3 Oct 2018
Tests13 (8 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate61.5%

Mileage

249,904 mi
Last recorded249,904 miles
Recorded on4 Oct 2017
Typical for 1996 BMW 540125,563 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

RegistrationP788 PHU
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1996
ColourGreen
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

8 pass 5 fail
Pass 4 Oct 2017 249,904 miles

rear discs poor

Fail 27 Sep 2017 249,904 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)

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

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

rear discs poor

Pass 21 Sep 2016 246,525 miles

Brake lever worn but not seriously weakened ratchet in lever worn (3.5.1e)

Nearside Side repeater has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Side repeater has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.4.A.2c)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' behind rear view mirror not affecting drivers view of the road (8.3.1a)

brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened all front and rear (3.5.1i)

number plates over number plates at time of test

oil leaks

sill covers fitted

Fail 13 Sep 2016 246,482 miles

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Rear registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Windscreen has damage to the swept area in excess of a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Both heavily corroded (3.5.1i)

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Nearside Rear Brake is hard to turn. But does not show up on brake rollers

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

Nearside Rear Outer Brake pad(s) wearing thin Is on limit (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

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

Sill covers fitted

Pass 28 May 2014 239,471 miles

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

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

n/s/f tyre side wall perished.

Fail 24 May 2014 239,407 miles

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Headlamp levelling device inoperative (1.7.2)

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Rear registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

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

n/s/f tyre side wall perished.

Pass 23 May 2013

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 7 May 2013

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

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

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

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

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 9 May 2012 219,581 miles

Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

n/s/f and o/s/r tyre wornon inner edges

Pass 19 May 2011 213,098 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Oil leak

o/s/f tyre worn on outer edge

slight play in both rear hub mounts/balljoints

slight play in o/s of steering system

Pass 18 May 2010 202,510 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Oil leak

brake fluid was below limit but toped up

h/lamp aims on lower limits

o/s/rear tyre worn on inner edge

Fail 18 May 2010 202,510 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Oil leak

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

brake fluid was below limit but toped up

h/lamp aims on lower limits

o/s/rear tyre worn on inner edge

Pass 3 Apr 2006 188,434 miles

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

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

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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P788 PHU is a 1996 BMW 540 in Green with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 13 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.5%.

Across all 1996 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.2% with a typical mileage of 125,563 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 P788 PHU, 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 30 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 P788 PHU?

You can check the full history of P788 PHU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P788 PHU registered?

P788 PHU is a 1996 BMW 540, first registered on 1 August 1996.

Is P788 PHU safe to buy?

The MOT history for P788 PHU shows 13 tests with a 61.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P788 PHU 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 P788 PHU. 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.