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P970 BCT

1997 BMW M3

Blue Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 May 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

137,847 mi
Last recorded137,847 miles
Recorded on29 May 2026
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

RegistrationP970 BCT
MakeBMW
ModelM3
Year1997
ColourBlue
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

20 pass 7 fail
Pass 29 May 2026 137,847 miles

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 4 Mar 2025 137,779 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Pass 4 Apr 2024 137,663 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

surface corrosion on underbody/suspension components

Fail 27 Sep 2023 137,559 miles

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

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

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

n/s/f floor pan / jacking corroded slightly

Pass 3 Oct 2022 137,358 miles
Pass 4 Oct 2021 137,026 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Nearside 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))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Fail 4 Oct 2021 137,026 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

Offside Front Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

Nearside 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))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 30 Sep 2020 136,608 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Both

Fail 30 Sep 2020 136,608 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Both

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Pass 3 Apr 2019 136,580 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

front fogs not working

Pass 20 Apr 2018 134,988 miles

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

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

Fail 20 Apr 2018 134,988 miles

Headlamp aim too high Both front (1.8)

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

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

Pass 4 Apr 2017 134,010 miles

Both front inner tie rods have slight play

Both rear tyres starting to crack

Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement Both lower arm rear bushes splitting (2.4.G.2)

Front wipers smear slightly

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded Both rear small pipes starting to corrode (3.6.B.2c)

Rear diff leaking

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 10 Mar 2016 132,461 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2015 130,923 miles

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

power steering fluid pipe leaking slightly

Pass 11 Mar 2014 120,322 miles
Fail 4 Mar 2014 119,949 miles

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 13 Mar 2013 117,344 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2012 114,424 miles

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

Pass 5 Sep 2011 111,750 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)

light misting of oil from power steering pipe

slight damage to offside front chassis rail

Fail 23 Aug 2010 104,833 miles

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

Pass 23 Aug 2010 104,833 miles
Pass 9 Sep 2009 95,425 miles
Pass 5 Sep 2008 81,805 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2007 66,604 miles
Fail 12 Sep 2007 66,585 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 8 Sep 2006 57,892 miles

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

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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P970 BCT is a 1997 BMW M3 in Blue with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 P970 BCT, 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 P970 BCT?

You can check the full history of P970 BCT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P970 BCT registered?

P970 BCT is a 1997 BMW M3, first registered on 18 February 1997.

Is P970 BCT safe to buy?

The MOT history for P970 BCT shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P970 BCT 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 P970 BCT. 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.