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R788 BAX

1997 BMW M3

Blue Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Dec 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

123,585 mi
Last recorded123,585 miles
Recorded on13 Dec 2025
Typical for 1997 BMW M396,985 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR788 BAX
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

20 pass 10 fail
Pass 13 Dec 2025 123,585 miles

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Pass 2 Nov 2024 122,977 miles
Pass 25 Nov 2023 122,954 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2022 122,920 miles
Pass 17 Aug 2020 121,320 miles

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

underbody corrosion in various places

Pass 12 Aug 2019 119,673 miles

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

Offside Rear Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Fail 5 Aug 2019 119,644 miles

Offside Rear Lower Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength outer sill area (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Seat belt webbing significantly weakened (7.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Rear Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Pass 30 Jul 2018 117,159 miles

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

Nearside Rear Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear brake hose ferule is badly corroded

Rear Service brake binding but not excessively x2 (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 14 Aug 2017 114,639 miles

Oil leak ()

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

underbody corrosion in various places

Pass 15 Aug 2016 112,370 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear handbrake effort is lower than normal

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

Oil leak front to rear ()

Pass 10 Aug 2015 110,361 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded n/s rear (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 10 Aug 2015 110,353 miles

Braking system leaking o/s rear (3.6.A.1)

Brake pipe slightly corroded n/s rear (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 2 Sep 2014 108,646 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 1 Sep 2014 108,646 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

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

Pass 17 Sep 2013 106,895 miles

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

Fail 19 Aug 2013 106,826 miles

Nearside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

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

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

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

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

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

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

general underside surface corrosion

Pass 23 Aug 2012 105,224 miles

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

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

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

Fail 20 Aug 2012 105,224 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

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

Pass 18 Aug 2011 103,958 miles

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

Suspension joint nearside lower dust cover split/missing

underbody corrosion in various places(plastic sill covers fitted)

Fail 18 Aug 2011 103,958 miles

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

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

Suspension joint nearside lower dust cover split/missing

underbody corrosion in various places(plastic sill covers fitted)

Pass 31 Aug 2010 101,786 miles

Oil leak

undercovers blocking some underside view

Fail 31 Aug 2010 101,784 miles

Offside Front Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

Oil leak

undercovers blocking some underside view

Pass 2 Sep 2009 100,028 miles
Fail 1 Sep 2009 100,028 miles

Offside Front coil spring incomplete (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 2 Sep 2008 98,076 miles
Fail 1 Sep 2008 98,076 miles

Nearside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 3 Sep 2007 96,011 miles

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Fail 3 Sep 2007 96,011 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 5 Sep 2006 93,430 miles
Pass 9 Mar 2006 92,557 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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R788 BAX is a 1997 BMW M3 in Blue with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 R788 BAX, 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 R788 BAX?

You can check the full history of R788 BAX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R788 BAX registered?

R788 BAX is a 1997 BMW M3, first registered on 12 November 1997.

Is R788 BAX safe to buy?

The MOT history for R788 BAX shows 30 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R788 BAX 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 R788 BAX. 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.