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R61 OAM

1997 BMW M3

Blue Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Mar 2026
Tests21 (15 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

175,992 mi
Last recorded175,992 miles
Recorded on21 Mar 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW M396,985 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR61 OAM
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

15 pass 6 fail
Pass 21 Mar 2025 175,992 miles
Pass 16 Jun 2023 174,888 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2021 172,064 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2017 169,958 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (2.4.A.3)

Pass 15 Sep 2016 168,618 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Oil leak diff seaping ()

Rear view mirror missing

performance exhaust fitted

Pass 9 Sep 2015 162,070 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front tyre wearing heavily on inner edge

diff leaking

exhaust heat shields insecure

heavy engine oil leak

rear tyres wearing low

Pass 20 Aug 2014 137,547 miles

AFTERMARKET EXHAUST FITTED

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

INTERIOR MIRROR MISSING

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak

REAR DIFF LEAKING

Pass 10 Sep 2013 134,014 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Fail 9 Sep 2013 134,014 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 13 Sep 2012 132,672 miles

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

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

Fail 12 Sep 2012 132,672 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Pass 14 Sep 2011 129,815 miles
Pass 2 Sep 2010 125,737 miles
Fail 1 Sep 2010 125,737 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Pass 7 Sep 2009 120,190 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2008 116,066 miles

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

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

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

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

play in steering rack

Fail 11 Sep 2008 116,066 miles

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Steering rack insecure (2.2.B.1a)

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

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

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

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

play in steering rack

Pass 19 Jan 2008 114,567 miles

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)

diff slight oil leak

Fail 19 Jan 2008 114,567 miles

Centre Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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)

diff slight oil leak

Fail 16 Aug 2006 105,972 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 16 Aug 2006 105,972 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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R61 OAM is a 1997 BMW M3 in Blue with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 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 R61 OAM, 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 R61 OAM?

You can check the full history of R61 OAM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R61 OAM registered?

R61 OAM is a 1997 BMW M3, first registered on 6 August 1997.

Is R61 OAM safe to buy?

The MOT history for R61 OAM shows 21 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R61 OAM 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 R61 OAM. 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.