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R473 EEC

1997 BMW M3

Blue Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 May 2027
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

105,268 mi
Last recorded105,268 miles
Recorded on8 May 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW M396,985 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

RegistrationR473 EEC
MakeBMW
ModelM3
Year1997
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

21 pass 7 fail
Pass 8 May 2026 105,268 miles
Pass 28 Apr 2025 104,990 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2024 103,479 miles
Pass 23 Mar 2023 101,621 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))

Pass 27 Aug 2021 99,626 miles
Fail 26 Aug 2021 99,623 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Pass 17 Aug 2020 98,201 miles

Front Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage under car pipe leaking. (2.1.5 (a))

air con pump leaking

Pass 9 Aug 2019 96,747 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2018 95,648 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 26 Jul 2018 95,641 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Sep 2017 95,525 miles

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

Pass 1 Jul 2016 95,404 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2015 94,884 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Jun 2014 93,588 miles
Pass 21 Nov 2013 91,621 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2013 91,621 miles

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking from a joint (2.3.3b)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 28 Nov 2012 90,449 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2011 88,201 miles
Pass 16 Nov 2010 85,576 miles
Fail 8 Nov 2010 85,564 miles

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 19 Nov 2009 82,380 miles

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

Fail 19 Nov 2009 82,380 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Pass 20 Nov 2008 77,039 miles
Fail 17 Nov 2008 77,025 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 12 Nov 2007 70,371 miles
Pass 28 Dec 2006 70,845 miles
Pass 9 Nov 2005 66,625 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2005 66,625 miles

Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

Slight wear in Nearside rear shock absorber top mount.

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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R473 EEC is a 1997 BMW M3 in Blue with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 1997 BMW M3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.9% with a typical mileage of 96,985 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 R473 EEC, 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 29 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 R473 EEC?

You can check the full history of R473 EEC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R473 EEC registered?

R473 EEC is a 1997 BMW M3, first registered on 20 November 1997.

Is R473 EEC safe to buy?

The MOT history for R473 EEC shows 28 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R473 EEC 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 R473 EEC. 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.