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R434 EJL

1998 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Dec 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

116,100 mi
Last recorded116,100 miles
Recorded on22 Nov 2025
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

RegistrationR434 EJL
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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 22 Nov 2025 116,100 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 9 Nov 2024 110,537 miles
Pass 25 Nov 2023 105,675 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2022 100,450 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 sills x 2 corroded

Pass 20 Oct 2020 100,121 miles

osr inner sill and x 2 fuel tank straps are corroded

Fail 20 Oct 2020 100,121 miles

Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault (7.12 (e))

osr inner sill and x 2 fuel tank straps are corroded

Pass 7 Oct 2019 90,708 miles
Fail 7 Oct 2019 90,708 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension spring mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Oct 2018 89,105 miles

Corrosion to near side and off side rear outer sills covered by Plastic sill covers

Slight play to near side and off side rear drop links

Pass 27 Sep 2017 87,559 miles

BOTH REAR INNER/OUTER SILLS SLIGHTLY CORRODED JUST OUTSIDE PRESCRIBED AREA MAY NEED ATTENTION SOON

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 22 Sep 2016 85,853 miles

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 ()

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Fail 20 Sep 2016 85,850 miles

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play steering drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

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 ()

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 2 Oct 2015 83,167 miles

Nearside Rear Lower suspension arm bush worn

Fail 30 Sep 2015 83,161 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Lower suspension arm bush worn

Pass 30 Sep 2014 79,715 miles

All four tyres cracking

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 10 Oct 2013 73,612 miles
Pass 19 Oct 2012 66,019 miles

very slight binding from rear brakes

Pass 19 Sep 2011 63,726 miles

Oil leak

all four tyres cracked

Fail 17 Sep 2011 63,726 miles

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

Oil leak

all four tyres cracked

Pass 27 Jul 2010 62,086 miles

both front and rear tyres starting to perish

Pass 11 Sep 2009 59,737 miles
Pass 11 Jan 2008 57,138 miles
Fail 10 Jan 2008 57,131 miles

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

Pass 13 Feb 2007 51,679 miles
Pass 15 Feb 2006 44,765 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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R434 EJL 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 76%.

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 R434 EJL, 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 R434 EJL?

You can check the full history of R434 EJL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R434 EJL registered?

R434 EJL is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 7 February 1998.

Is R434 EJL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R434 EJL shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R434 EJL 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 R434 EJL. 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.