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P973 WMJ

1997 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires10 Feb 2015
Tests15 (9 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

197,290 mi
Last recorded197,290 miles
Recorded on11 Feb 2014
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP973 WMJ
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 6 fail
Pass 11 Feb 2014 197,290 miles
Fail 29 Jan 2014 197,279 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Outer Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 31 Jan 2013 190,851 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

offside and nearside rear sills corroded and holed not within a prescribed area

Fail 31 Jan 2013 190,851 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

offside and nearside rear sills corroded and holed not within a prescribed area

Pass 2 Feb 2012 185,319 miles

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

SRS malfunction indicator lamp illuminated

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

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

Fail 11 Jan 2012 185,310 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp sequence is incorrect (3.4.1d)

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

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

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

Nearside Rear passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1c)

Nearside Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

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

Offside Inner Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Outer Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1c)

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

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

srs malfunction indicator lamp illuminated

Pass 14 Jan 2011 180,117 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak

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

nearside steering idler arm bush has slight play

Fail 10 Jan 2011 180,077 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Oil leak

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

nearside steering idler arm bush has slight play

Pass 14 Jan 2010 171,501 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 15 Jan 2009 164,726 miles

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 15 Jan 2008 153,685 miles
Fail 15 Jan 2008 153,682 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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

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

both front shock absorbers weak

Pass 16 Jan 2007 141,340 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2007 141,340 miles

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

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

windscreen is chipped

Pass 7 Nov 2005 126,483 miles

Nearside Track rod 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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P973 WMJ is a 1997 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 15 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

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 P973 WMJ, 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 P973 WMJ?

You can check the full history of P973 WMJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P973 WMJ registered?

P973 WMJ is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is P973 WMJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for P973 WMJ shows 15 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P973 WMJ 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 P973 WMJ. 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.