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R257 JPJ

1998 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Apr 2027
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

80,484 mi
Last recorded80,484 miles
Recorded on9 Apr 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW 540116,079 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

RegistrationR257 JPJ
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1998
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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 9 Apr 2026 80,484 miles

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

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

front brake caliper clips missing both sides

Pass 17 Apr 2025 78,929 miles

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

o/s/r tyre wearing inner edge

Pass 10 Apr 2024 77,603 miles

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

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

oi leak rear diff

Pass 13 Apr 2023 76,254 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material o/s front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

o/s/f outer sill starting to corrode

Pass 20 Apr 2022 74,776 miles

Fluid leak, but not excessive rear diff slight leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear arm bush both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front some corrosion to sill

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

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

Fail 19 Apr 2022 74,774 miles

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

Fluid leak, but not excessive rear diff slight leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear arm bush both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front some corrosion to sill

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

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

Pass 20 Apr 2021 73,296 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rears (1.1.11 (c))

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

front of o/s outer sill starting to corrode

Fail 10 Mar 2021 73,291 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both front to rears (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

front of o/s outer sill corroding

Pass 2 Jul 2019 72,158 miles

Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords both sides (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

Pass 27 Jul 2018 70,635 miles

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

o/s outer sill corroding

rear tyres sidewalls perished

Fail 26 Jul 2018 70,635 miles

Nearside Brake pipe excessively corroded rear of front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

o/s outer sill corroding

rear tyres sidewalls perished

Pass 20 Jul 2017 69,915 miles
Pass 20 May 2016
Pass 29 Jan 2015 65,281 miles
Pass 14 Jan 2014 65,236 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2013 65,148 miles
Fail 17 Jan 2013 65,148 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 24 Jan 2012 64,762 miles
Pass 21 Jan 2011 64,104 miles
Fail 21 Jan 2011 64,104 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 22 Jan 2010 62,999 miles
Pass 22 Jan 2009 61,914 miles
Pass 21 Jan 2008 59,005 miles
Pass 20 Jan 2007 56,424 miles
Pass 18 Jan 2006 53,550 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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R257 JPJ is a 1998 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 R257 JPJ, 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 R257 JPJ?

You can check the full history of R257 JPJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R257 JPJ registered?

R257 JPJ is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 23 February 1998.

Is R257 JPJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for R257 JPJ shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R257 JPJ 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 R257 JPJ. 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.