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R488 VJB

1998 BMW 528

Green Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Jul 2027
Tests19 (13 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate68.4%

Mileage

Typical for 1998 BMW 528118,565 mi
4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR488 VJB
MakeBMW
Model528
Year1998
ColourGreen
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

13 pass 6 fail
Pass 3 Jul 2026

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

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 23 Jun 2026

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp insecure bulb assembly (4.1.1 (c))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 2 Jul 2025 122,558 miles

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

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

Pass 11 May 2016 121,299 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2015 120,776 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2014 119,763 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

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

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

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

cat convertors rattling

coolant low warning displayed

nearside front tyre cracking between tread

noise heard offside front suspension area when driving into workshop

Fail 20 Mar 2014 119,762 miles

Front Headlamp levelling device obviously defective (1.7.2)

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

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

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

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

cat convertors rattling

coolant low warning displayed

nearside front tyre cracking between tread

noise heard offside front suspension area when driving into workshop

Pass 25 Mar 2013 117,213 miles
Fail 13 Mar 2013 117,211 miles

Offside Rear Bonded suspension unit attachment cracked (2.4.F.1b)

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

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

Pass 14 May 2012 113,447 miles

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

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

n/s/r brake pipe greased unable to assess condition

Fail 4 May 2012 113,434 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

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

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

n/s/r brake pipe greased unable to assess condition

Pass 20 Apr 2011 107,597 miles

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

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

Offside Rear coil spring worn (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 30 Apr 2010 100,922 miles

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

Offside Rear coil spring worn (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 17 Apr 2009 94,212 miles
Fail 16 Apr 2009 94,212 miles

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 14 Apr 2008 89,459 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Apr 2007 84,687 miles
Fail 12 Apr 2007 84,675 miles

Centre Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 25 Jan 2006 77,103 miles

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

How Reliable is the BMW 528?

Based on 168,696 MOT tests across 14,467 vehicles.

70.0%
Pass Rate
5,637
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
14,467
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 11,782
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 9,791
parking brake recording little or no effort 6,746
Brake pipe excessively corroded 5,749
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 5,592
Full BMW 528 reliability report

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R488 VJB is a 1998 BMW 528 in Green with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.4%.

Across all 1998 BMW 528 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.9% with a typical mileage of 118,565 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 528 fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 11,782 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R488 VJB, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 528 typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 28 years old, this BMW 528 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R488 VJB?

You can check the full history of R488 VJB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R488 VJB registered?

R488 VJB is a 1998 BMW 528, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R488 VJB safe to buy?

The MOT history for R488 VJB shows 19 tests with a 68.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R488 VJB 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 R488 VJB. 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.