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P947 RYW

1997 BMW M3

Black Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires5 Aug 2026
Tests24 (17 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate70.8%

Mileage

159,548 mi
Last recorded159,548 miles
Recorded on6 Aug 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW M396,985 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationP947 RYW
MakeBMW
ModelM3
Year1997
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,201cc

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

17 pass 7 fail
Pass 6 Aug 2025 159,548 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2024 157,872 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2023 156,557 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material All pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Front Power steering pipe/hose slightly damaged (2.1.5 (g) (i))

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule Both sides (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Pass 17 Sep 2021 154,934 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2020 153,430 miles
Fail 25 Apr 2020 153,428 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Offside Front All direction indicators not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 9 Mar 2019 144,766 miles
Pass 12 Jul 2017 139,464 miles

Nearside Rear brake has a slight bind on rollers

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

front and rear pad wear sensors dis connected

oil leaks

Fail 4 Jul 2017 139,363 miles

front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Nearside Rear brake has a slight bind on rollers

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

front and rear pad wear sensors dis connected

oil leaks

Pass 1 Jul 2016 132,738 miles

Offside Front jacking point has a hole caused by corrosion but not in a prescribed area

Oil leak ()

Tyre worn close to the legal limit all 4 2-3 mm (4.1.E.1)

Fail 28 Jun 2016 132,738 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front jacking point has a hole caused by corrosion but not in a prescribed area

Oil leak ()

Tyre worn close to the legal limit all 4 2-3 mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 25 Jun 2015 125,115 miles

all 4 tyres are tearing on the outer edges

centre exhaust heat shieldhas become detatched and is rattling on the exhaust

nearside rear tyre worn to 2.84mm

offside front seat belt slow to re-tract

offside rear tyre worn to 3.13mm

rear shock tubes corroded

Fail 24 Jun 2015 125,102 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

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

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

all 4 tyres are tearing on the outer edges

centre exhaust heat shieldhas become detatched and is rattling on the exhaust

nearside rear tyre worn to 2.84mm

offside front seat belt slow to re-tract

offside rear tyre worn to 3.13mm

rear shock tubes corroded

Fail 3 Jun 2015 125,039 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

Front tyres feathering

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

Offside Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 4 Jun 2014 119,954 miles
Fail 2 Jun 2014 119,954 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Pass 9 May 2013 118,495 miles
Pass 6 Jun 2012 113,555 miles

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

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

Fail 6 Jun 2012 113,555 miles

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Pass 18 May 2011 107,072 miles

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

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

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

Pass 11 Jun 2010 100,216 miles

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

Nail in nearside front tyre

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) slightly damaged (2.3.2)

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

rear brake discs slighty corroded

slight play in offside of steering rack

Pass 10 Dec 2008 89,204 miles

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

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

Pass 6 Dec 2007 80,454 miles
Pass 16 May 2006 68,021 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

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

oil leak

How Reliable is the BMW M3?

Based on 440,678 MOT tests across 34,038 vehicles.

80.8%
Pass Rate
3,682
Miles/Year
32
Year Lifespan
34,038
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 14,421
Brake pipe excessively corroded 7,386
coil spring incomplete 5,157
coil spring fractured 4,494
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 3,944
Full BMW M3 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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P947 RYW is a 1997 BMW M3 in Black with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.8%.

Across all 1997 BMW M3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.9% with a typical mileage of 96,985 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 M3 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 14,421 recorded failures. If you're considering buying P947 RYW, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW M3 typically stays on UK roads for around 32 years. At 29 years old, this BMW M3 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of P947 RYW?

You can check the full history of P947 RYW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P947 RYW registered?

P947 RYW is a 1997 BMW M3, first registered on 29 May 1997.

Is P947 RYW safe to buy?

The MOT history for P947 RYW shows 24 tests with a 70.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P947 RYW 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 P947 RYW. 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.