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RV51 EWJ

2001 BMW 540

Silver Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Dec 2026
Tests30 (21 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

127,917 mi
Last recorded127,917 miles
Recorded on19 Dec 2025
Typical for 2001 BMW 540106,299 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

RegistrationRV51 EWJ
MakeBMW
Model540
Year2001
ColourSilver
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

21 pass 9 fail
Pass 19 Dec 2025 127,917 miles

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

Fail 17 Dec 2025 127,610 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn front arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fuel cap seal perishing

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play front arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 28 Dec 2024 119,742 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2023 115,355 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2022 107,575 miles
Fail 24 Nov 2022 107,572 miles

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

Pass 27 Nov 2021
Fail 25 Nov 2021

Offside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment (2.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 26 Nov 2020 103,727 miles
Pass 25 Nov 2019 102,572 miles
Fail 21 Nov 2019 102,550 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Front Electronic stability control switch excessively damaged (7.12 (d))

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick pad broken up (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 21 Nov 2018 101,160 miles

Fuel cap seal perishing

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 19 Nov 2018 101,157 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded Leaking (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Service brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.2.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Brakes not tested due to leaking

Fuel cap seal perishing

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 21 Nov 2017 100,094 miles

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

Nearside Front tyre worn on edges

Offside Front tyre getting close to limit

corrosion on offside front to rear brake pipe

oil weepage on steering box

Pass 28 Nov 2016 98,327 miles

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Fail 24 Nov 2016 98,327 miles

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings inner sill..(jacking point) (6.1.B.2)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 23 Nov 2015 95,733 miles

corrosion on both outer sill panels

slight bind on nearside front brake

Pass 21 Nov 2014 92,270 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Oil leak

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 25 Nov 2013 88,608 miles

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Fail 14 Nov 2013 88,525 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 26 Nov 2012 85,256 miles
Pass 25 Nov 2011 81,855 miles

Tyre sidewalls perishing slightly // slight corrosion front brake discs

Pass 12 Apr 2011 79,402 miles

Oil leak

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

centre rear seat belt stickey

rear brake discs rusty x2

rear number plate fading

Fail 12 Apr 2011 79,402 miles

Nearside Front Lower Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Oil leak

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

centre rear seat belt stickey

rear brake discs rusty x2

rear number plate fading

Pass 30 Mar 2010 74,751 miles

Centre Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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)

damage to n/s /f wing/bumper

Pass 29 Dec 2008 68,192 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 15 Jan 2008 60,528 miles
Fail 14 Jan 2008 60,524 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Lower Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 22 Jan 2007 54,260 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front 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)

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

Pass 13 Oct 2005 45,556 miles

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

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

Offside Front 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)

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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RV51 EWJ is a 2001 BMW 540 in Silver with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

Across all 2001 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.0% with a typical mileage of 106,299 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 RV51 EWJ, 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 25 years old, this BMW 540 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of RV51 EWJ?

You can check the full history of RV51 EWJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was RV51 EWJ registered?

RV51 EWJ is a 2001 BMW 540, first registered on 2 October 2001.

Is RV51 EWJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for RV51 EWJ shows 30 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does RV51 EWJ 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 RV51 EWJ. 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.