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S479 GAN

1998 BMW 540

Black Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Nov 2026
Tests22 (15 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate68.2%

Mileage

Typical for 1998 BMW 540116,079 mi
4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationS479 GAN
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1998
ColourBlack
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

15 pass 7 fail
Pass 6 Nov 2025
Fail 23 Oct 2025

Fuel pipe leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 23 Oct 2024

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

o/s sill corroded

Pass 9 Nov 2023 131,410 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2019 131,352 miles

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly chafed (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly chafed (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Pass 18 Jul 2018 131,328 miles

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly chafed (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly chafed (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Mar 2016 126,569 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 6 Mar 2015 122,808 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 6 Mar 2015 122,808 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 1 May 2013 121,555 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

oil leak

Fail 20 Mar 2013 121,539 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Emissions not tested (7.0)

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

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

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

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

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

Pass 13 Mar 2012 120,119 miles
Fail 24 Feb 2012 120,170 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

Pass 16 Mar 2011 116,317 miles
Fail 11 Mar 2011 116,230 miles

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

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Pass 12 Mar 2010 110,720 miles
Fail 14 Mar 2009 106,397 miles

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Pass 14 Mar 2009 106,397 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2008 100,796 miles
Pass 16 Feb 2007 92,902 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2006 80,631 miles
Fail 3 Mar 2006 80,612 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Slight play in nearside rear anti-roll bar link.

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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S479 GAN is a 1998 BMW 540 in Black with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.2%.

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 S479 GAN, 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 S479 GAN?

You can check the full history of S479 GAN by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S479 GAN registered?

S479 GAN is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 1 October 1998.

Is S479 GAN safe to buy?

The MOT history for S479 GAN shows 22 tests with a 68.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S479 GAN 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 S479 GAN. 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.