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R38 BAU

1998 BMW M3

Blue Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Apr 2027
Tests15 (11 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate73.3%

Mileage

80,435 mi
Last recorded80,435 miles
Recorded on1 May 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW M387,931 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

RegistrationR38 BAU
MakeBMW
ModelM3
Year1998
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

11 pass 4 fail
Pass 1 May 2026 80,435 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2025 79,582 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2024 79,442 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2017 79,352 miles
Pass 26 Aug 2016 77,727 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Apr 2015 74,130 miles

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Fail 14 Apr 2015 74,130 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Pass 10 Aug 2011 72,650 miles
Fail 9 Aug 2011 72,650 miles

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

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

Nearside Front coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

Fail 1 Jul 2010 70,383 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

both rear brake discs -rusted and pitted

Pass 1 Jul 2010 70,383 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)

both rear brake discs -rusted and pitted

Pass 31 Jul 2009 68,285 miles

Oil leak

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Fail 24 Jul 2009 68,253 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 12 Feb 2008 62,817 miles
Pass 5 Apr 2006 52,745 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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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R38 BAU is a 1998 BMW M3 in Blue with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 15 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.3%.

Across all 1998 BMW M3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 74.8% with a typical mileage of 87,931 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 M3 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 14,421 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R38 BAU, 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 28 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 R38 BAU?

You can check the full history of R38 BAU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R38 BAU registered?

R38 BAU is a 1998 BMW M3, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R38 BAU safe to buy?

The MOT history for R38 BAU shows 15 tests with a 73.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R38 BAU 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 R38 BAU. 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.