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SXI 540

1997 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Apr 2027
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

93,769 mi
Last recorded93,769 miles
Recorded on14 Apr 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW 540117,944 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

RegistrationSXI 540
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

21 pass 6 fail
Pass 14 Apr 2026 93,769 miles
Pass 22 Apr 2025 89,423 miles
Pass 9 Apr 2024 84,708 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2023 82,056 miles
Pass 9 Apr 2022 78,600 miles

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 3 Apr 2021 75,158 miles

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 2 Apr 2021 75,145 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Feb 2020 71,281 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2019 66,131 miles
Fail 20 Feb 2019 66,131 miles

Nearside Front Lower Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases small hole just after cat (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Lower Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases small hole just after cat (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 13 Feb 2018 66,107 miles
Pass 31 Jan 2017 66,061 miles
Pass 5 Feb 2016 65,616 miles
Pass 7 Feb 2015 62,478 miles

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

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

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

Spare tyre defective

Fail 6 Feb 2015 62,474 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Spare tyre defective

Pass 5 Sep 2013 57,348 miles

Nearside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 18 Aug 2012 55,590 miles

Rear brake pads worn

Spare tyre defective

Fail 18 Aug 2012 55,590 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear brake pads worn

Spare tyre defective

Pass 3 Aug 2011 51,868 miles
Fail 28 Jul 2011 51,852 miles

Offside Front 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)

Pass 12 Jul 2010

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

front wiper blades split advise replace now

Pass 29 Jul 2009 41,816 miles
Pass 21 Jul 2008 34,483 miles

Nail in nearside rear tyre

Pass 20 Jul 2007 28,274 miles
Fail 18 Jul 2007 28,274 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Pass 2 May 2006 21,398 miles
Pass 5 Oct 2005 13,045 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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SXI 540 is a 1997 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 SXI 540, 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 SXI 540?

You can check the full history of SXI 540 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was SXI 540 registered?

SXI 540 is a 1997 BMW 540, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is SXI 540 safe to buy?

The MOT history for SXI 540 shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does SXI 540 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 SXI 540. 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.