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R19 DOG

1998 BMW 540

Silver Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Oct 2026
Tests23 (16 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate69.6%

Mileage

173,423 mi
Last recorded173,423 miles
Recorded on17 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW 540116,079 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

RegistrationR19 DOG
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1998
ColourSilver
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

16 pass 7 fail
Pass 17 Oct 2025 173,423 miles
Fail 10 Oct 2025 173,114 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Headlamp insecure both (4.1.1 (c))

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 5 May 2023 170,702 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Apr 2022 169,040 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp has a product on the lens or light source but not adversely affecting light intensity (4.2.3 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Position lamp slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 27 Apr 2022 169,037 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp light intensity significantly reduced (4.2.3 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Apr 2021 165,485 miles
Fail 9 Apr 2021 165,484 miles

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Fail 11 Mar 2021 165,457 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Brake pipe excessively corroded 2 pipes under floor (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint has excessive play going on to steering arm from steering box (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 12 Feb 2020 162,606 miles

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 6 Feb 2020 162,598 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage insecure and impairing directional stability (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 27 Sep 2019

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn front most joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

Nearside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Nearside Rear Floor excessively deteriorated corroded and holed (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength outer sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced outer sill/floor centre (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Floor excessively deteriorated corroded and holed (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play centre steering arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play front most joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 29 Sep 2018 154,049 miles
Pass 6 Jan 2016 148,084 miles
Pass 13 Dec 2014 140,853 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2013 141,289 miles
Pass 10 Sep 2012 135,193 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2011 125,412 miles
Pass 10 May 2010 115,282 miles
Pass 21 Apr 2009 104,347 miles
Pass 1 May 2008 98,871 miles
Pass 9 May 2007 96,125 miles
Fail 3 May 2007 96,085 miles

Nearside Outer Rear Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear coil spring incomplete (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 11 May 2006 89,905 miles

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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R19 DOG is a 1998 BMW 540 in Silver with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.6%.

Across all 1998 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.2% with a typical mileage of 116,079 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 R19 DOG, 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 28 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 R19 DOG?

You can check the full history of R19 DOG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R19 DOG registered?

R19 DOG is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R19 DOG safe to buy?

The MOT history for R19 DOG shows 23 tests with a 69.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R19 DOG 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 R19 DOG. 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.