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R638 KAF

1998 BMW 540

Green Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires29 Jan 2024
Tests22 (14 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate63.6%

Mileage

182,254 mi
Last recorded182,254 miles
Recorded on29 Jan 2024
Typical for 1998 BMW 540116,079 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR638 KAF
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1998
ColourGreen
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

14 pass 8 fail
Fail 29 Jan 2024 182,254 miles

Emissions unable to be completed due to leaks (8.2.1.2 (d))

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Headlamp levelling device inoperative (4.1.5 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

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

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside dip beam headlamp light output slightly reduced

general corrosion underside/ fuel tank straps etc

suspect drivers air bag components missing behind steering wheel unit

Pass 30 Jan 2023 181,939 miles

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Fail 18 Nov 2022 181,936 miles

Driver's airbag missing (7.1.5 (a))

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (7.1.2 (e))

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

Pass 10 Mar 2021 179,012 miles

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Integral body structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Rear Coil spring corroded Both rears (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both rears (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 22 Jan 2020 175,345 miles
Fail 7 Jan 2020 175,072 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre(s) of different sizes are fitted on the same axle. (5.2.3 (b))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

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

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

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

Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated n/s lower,o/s lower (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test ()

Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt n/s o/s (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 6 Jun 2016 172,902 miles

front brakes only just passed imbalance

Pass 21 May 2015 172,063 miles

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

Fail 18 May 2015 172,058 miles

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

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

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

Pass 14 May 2014 171,485 miles

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

Pass 13 May 2013 168,639 miles
Fail 9 May 2013

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 11 Jun 2012 167,184 miles

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

Tow ball/hitch not fitted at time of test

Fail 24 May 2012 167,181 miles

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

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

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

Tow ball/hitch not fitted at time of test

Pass 13 May 2011 165,002 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 12 May 2010 158,141 miles
Fail 12 May 2010 158,141 miles

Nearside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Pass 16 Apr 2009 145,982 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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

Offside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 9 Apr 2008 138,405 miles

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

Fail 9 Apr 2008 138,405 miles

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

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

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

Pass 5 Mar 2007 127,557 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2006 116,435 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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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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R638 KAF is a 1998 BMW 540 in Green with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.6%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 R638 KAF, 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 R638 KAF?

You can check the full history of R638 KAF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R638 KAF registered?

R638 KAF is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 6 May 1998.

Is R638 KAF safe to buy?

The MOT history for R638 KAF shows 22 tests with a 63.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R638 KAF 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 R638 KAF. 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.