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SB52 XAR

2002 BMW 3

Blue Petrol 2171cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Mar 2027
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

83,305 mi
Last recorded83,305 miles
Recorded on18 Mar 2026
Typical for 2002 BMW 386,530 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationSB52 XAR
MakeBMW
Model3
Year2002
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,171cc

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 7 fail
Pass 18 Mar 2026 83,305 miles

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

Nearside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 16 Apr 2025 82,897 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lens also missing. (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Section of front to rear brake pipe around tank area. (1.1.11 (c))

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage Pipes at reservoir area. (2.1.5 (a))

Slight hazing of headlamps. Beam patterns could be worse.

Fail 24 Mar 2025 82,856 miles

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush excessively worn Both. "D" mountings. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Outer Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions Wrong direction of rotation. (5.2.3 (i))

Offside Front Outer Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn Wishbone rear bush also slightly worn. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak Casing porous and leaking. (5.3.2 (b))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Both. Nearside lamp incomplete. (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working Both. (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Inner edge wear. 225/50/16 (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Section front to rear brake pipe around tank area. (1.1.11 (c))

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage Pipes at reservoir area. (2.1.5 (a))

Slight hazing of headlamps. Beam patterns could be better.

Pass 26 Mar 2024 81,260 miles
Pass 21 Apr 2023
Pass 20 Oct 2022 76,033 miles
Fail 19 Oct 2022 76,033 miles

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Pass 18 Oct 2021 72,480 miles

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

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear slightly corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play o/s and n/s steering rack has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 12 Oct 2021 72,411 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear slightly corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play o/s and n/s steering rack has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 22 Oct 2020 68,853 miles

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to rear pipe at fuel tank. (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 7 Jun 2019 62,085 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin close to sensor wire (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear tyres close to limit [225/50 r16] (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 7 Jun 2019 62,085 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension component ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin close to sensor wire (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear tyres close to limit [225/50 r16] (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 12 Jun 2018 55,780 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2018 55,780 miles

Nearside Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 225/50 r16 (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 13 Jun 2017 49,527 miles

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

Nearside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Offside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 14 Sep 2016 46,328 miles

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

Pass 18 Sep 2015 40,156 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2014 29,937 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Pass 30 Sep 2014 29,937 miles
Pass 24 Sep 2013 23,815 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2012 22,046 miles

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

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

Pass 6 Oct 2011 21,788 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2010 21,305 miles

Offside rear tyre deteriorating spliting on face of tyre

Fail 15 Sep 2010 21,305 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a) DANGEROUS

Offside rear tyre deteriorating spliting on face of tyre

Pass 30 Sep 2009 20,505 miles
Pass 10 Sep 2008 19,848 miles

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

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

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

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

stone chips front screen

Pass 13 Sep 2007 18,251 miles
Pass 2 Oct 2006 17,954 miles

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

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

How Reliable is the BMW 3?

Based on 4,306 MOT tests across 342 vehicles.

76.9%
Pass Rate
5,926
Miles/Year
53
Year Lifespan
342
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 120
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 94
Brake pipe excessively corroded 73
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 67
parking brake recording little or no effort 63
Full BMW 3 reliability report

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SB52 XAR is a 2002 BMW 3 in Blue with a 2,171cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 2002 BMW 3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.9% with a typical mileage of 86,530 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 3 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 120 recorded failures. If you're considering buying SB52 XAR, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 3 typically stays on UK roads for around 53 years. At 24 years old, this BMW 3 is still in the earlier part of its expected life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of SB52 XAR?

You can check the full history of SB52 XAR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was SB52 XAR registered?

SB52 XAR is a 2002 BMW 3, first registered on 16 October 2002.

Is SB52 XAR safe to buy?

The MOT history for SB52 XAR shows 28 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does SB52 XAR 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 SB52 XAR. 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.