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R59 FDL

1998 BMW M3

Purple Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Nov 2026
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

164,422 mi
Last recorded164,422 miles
Recorded on26 Nov 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW M387,931 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR59 FDL
MakeBMW
ModelM3
Year1998
ColourPurple
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

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 26 Nov 2025 164,422 miles

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

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Fail 25 Nov 2025 164,415 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

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

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 27 Nov 2024 162,124 miles

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Side repeater insecure (4.4.1 (c) (i))

Pass 1 Dec 2023 159,385 miles

Nearside Rear Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning (4.2.1 (a) (i))

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

small stone-chip windscreen

Pass 25 Feb 2022 157,680 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))

Fail 24 Feb 2022 157,649 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Front Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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 24 Feb 2021 156,533 miles
Fail 23 Feb 2021 156,520 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Nearside Front Macpherson strut corroded and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

Offside Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

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

Offside Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 28 Feb 2020 153,182 miles

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 21 Feb 2019 150,092 miles
Fail 21 Feb 2019 150,091 miles

Nearside Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

Offside Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

Pass 1 Mar 2018 146,129 miles

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

Fail 20 Feb 2018 146,118 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

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

Nearside Front Brake hose twisted (found during steering lock to lock check) (2.2.D.2b)

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

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

Pass 25 Sep 2014 138,172 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Oil leak

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Side skirts fitted at time of test obscuring some prescribed areas

Pass 17 Oct 2013 131,498 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

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

Side skirts fitted at time of test obscurring some prescribed areas

Pass 10 Sep 2012 127,109 miles

Nearside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 4 Sep 2012 127,059 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 5 Sep 2011 121,703 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 2 Sep 2010 110,581 miles

Nearside front tyre is slightly worn on inside edge

Offside rear tyre is slightly worn on inside edge

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

Pass 13 Aug 2009 95,759 miles

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

Fail 12 Aug 2009 95,706 miles

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

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

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

Pass 11 Jul 2008 81,492 miles

Horn temp.

Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 9 Jun 2007 73,430 miles
Fail 4 Jun 2007 73,425 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake application uneven across the axle (3.7.D.2b)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4)

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)

Pass 19 May 2006 67,479 miles

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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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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R59 FDL is a 1998 BMW M3 in Purple with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

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 R59 FDL, 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 R59 FDL?

You can check the full history of R59 FDL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R59 FDL registered?

R59 FDL is a 1998 BMW M3, first registered on 4 March 1998.

Is R59 FDL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R59 FDL shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R59 FDL 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 R59 FDL. 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.