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R242 VKJ

1997 BMW 728

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Dec 2026
Tests25 (18 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate72%

Mileage

82,383 mi
Last recorded82,383 miles
Recorded on5 Dec 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW 728120,250 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR242 VKJ
MakeBMW
Model728
Year1997
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,793cc

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

18 pass 7 fail
Pass 5 Dec 2025 82,383 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated rear arm (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

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

Fail 5 Dec 2025 82,383 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated rear arm (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

Pass 11 Dec 2024 79,203 miles

Offside Front Brake hose slightly chafed (1.1.12 (b) (i))

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

Fail 5 Dec 2024 79,112 miles

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

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn rear arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly chafed (1.1.12 (b) (i))

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

Pass 8 Dec 2023 78,435 miles

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

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

Rear springs corroded

Rear subframe corroded

Fail 8 Dec 2023 78,435 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

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

Rear springs corroded

Rear subframe corroded

Pass 8 Dec 2022 77,289 miles

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

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

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

Pass 9 Dec 2021 74,405 miles
Pass 20 Jan 2020 74,227 miles

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 11 Jan 2019 73,808 miles
Fail 10 Jan 2019 73,808 miles

Front Hydraulic fluid leaking excessively (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Power steering fluid reservoir empty (2.1.5 (b) (ii))

Pass 19 Jan 2018 70,821 miles

Both front tyres wearing on edges.

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint rearmost (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak ()

Fail 17 Jan 2018 70,821 miles

Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt All 4 bottom joints (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Both front tyres wearing on edges.

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint rearmost (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak ()

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

Pass 24 Jan 2017 68,317 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Fail 24 Jan 2017 68,317 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 20 Oct 2014 66,848 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2013 64,224 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2012 63,608 miles
Pass 17 Oct 2011 60,924 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2010 60,311 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2009 60,235 miles

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

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

Fail 6 Mar 2009 60,230 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has insufficient room to move, resulting in fouling on any part (3.6.B.4a)

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

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

Pass 5 Mar 2008 58,031 miles

both front tyre valves starting to crack

Pass 19 Mar 2007 55,557 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2006 50,777 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 728?

Based on 84,739 MOT tests across 7,020 vehicles.

71.8%
Pass Rate
5,164
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
7,020
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 4,391
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 3,768
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,300
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 2,183
Brake pipe excessively corroded 2,071
Full BMW 728 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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R242 VKJ is a 1997 BMW 728 in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72%.

Across all 1997 BMW 728 models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.2% with a typical mileage of 120,250 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 728 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 4,391 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R242 VKJ, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 728 typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 29 years old, this BMW 728 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R242 VKJ?

You can check the full history of R242 VKJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R242 VKJ registered?

R242 VKJ is a 1997 BMW 728, first registered on 15 October 1997.

Is R242 VKJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for R242 VKJ shows 25 tests with a 72% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R242 VKJ 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 R242 VKJ. 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.