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R721 VCS

1997 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Nov 2016
Tests16 (10 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

218,612 mi
Last recorded218,612 miles
Recorded on14 Nov 2016
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR721 VCS
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1997
ColourBlue
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

10 pass 6 fail
Fail 14 Nov 2016 218,612 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp cleaning device inoperative (1.7.2)

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp cleaning device inoperative (1.7.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement rear arm (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

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

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

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. 27% (3.7.B.5b)

Front Oil leak ()

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Drive shaft which forms part of the suspension coupling gaiter damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.4e)

Rear Oil leak ()

Pass 21 Nov 2015 207,241 miles

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

emission failed 1st test

oil leak

Fail 19 Oct 2015 207,238 miles

Bootlid cannot be secured in the closed position (6.4.1)

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

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Front Inner brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

Nearside Front Headlamp cleaning device inoperative (1.7.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

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

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

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

oil leak

Pass 20 Oct 2014 191,424 miles

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.1.A.3b)

Oil leak

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

Fail 15 Oct 2014 191,422 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.1.A.3b)

Oil leak

Pass 9 Oct 2013 179,258 miles
Fail 4 Oct 2013 179,258 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Pass 1 Oct 2012 168,213 miles

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

boot lid doesn't close

Fail 24 Sep 2012 168,213 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

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

boot lid doesn't close

Pass 15 Sep 2011 155,493 miles

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both rear brake discs badly scored

nearside front tyre worn on outer edge

Fail 12 Sep 2011 155,492 miles

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

Rear registration plate delaminated (6.3.1d)

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both rear brake discs badly scored

nearside front tyre worn on outer edge

nearside rear outer sidelight not working

offside rear inner sidelight not working

Pass 13 Sep 2010 145,354 miles

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

Pass 11 Sep 2009 138,362 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2008 131,374 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2007 124,342 miles

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

Pass 15 Sep 2006 118,507 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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R721 VCS is a 1997 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 16 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

Across all 1997 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.9% with a typical mileage of 117,944 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 R721 VCS, 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 29 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 R721 VCS?

You can check the full history of R721 VCS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R721 VCS registered?

R721 VCS is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 22 September 1997.

Is R721 VCS safe to buy?

The MOT history for R721 VCS shows 16 tests with a 62.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R721 VCS 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 R721 VCS. 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.