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T78 SYJ

1999 BMW 540

Black Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires1 Oct 2025
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

238,254 mi
Last recorded238,254 miles
Recorded on2 Oct 2024
Typical for 1999 BMW 540107,004 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationT78 SYJ
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1999
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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 2 Oct 2024 238,254 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 15 Sep 2023

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

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

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 16 Sep 2022

Covers Fitted On Sills and arches (Inner & Outer) & Heavy Underseal

Engine Covers / Under-trays Fitted

Under-chassis, Suspension, Exhaust & Brake components corroded.

Vehicle is Heavily Under-sealed.

Pass 12 Oct 2017

BRAKE PIPES HAVE CORROSION

O/S/R INNER POSITION LAMP INOP

OIL LEAK

REAR COIL SPRINGS CORRODED

SLIGHT BLOW FROM EXHAUST

SLIGHT PLAY IN O/S/F STEERING

Pass 24 Sep 2016

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

Rear pads and discs wearing

Pass 3 Jun 2015 217,034 miles

Nearside Rear Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Offside Rear Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Pass 3 Jun 2014 216,850 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Fail 3 Jun 2014 216,850 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 11 Dec 2012 208,744 miles

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Fail 6 Dec 2012 208,744 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

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

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 13 Oct 2010 201,739 miles
Fail 11 Oct 2010 201,726 miles

Front Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

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

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 24 Nov 2008 175,635 miles

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

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

Fail 20 Sep 2008 172,125 miles

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

Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Front Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

power steering pipes slightiy corrded

Pass 28 Jun 2007 165,423 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

exhaust rusty

slight play in steering joints

Fail 20 Jun 2007 165,423 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

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

exhaust rusty

slight play in steering joints

Pass 17 Aug 2006 155,692 miles
Fail 14 Aug 2006 155,692 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

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

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

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

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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T78 SYJ is a 1999 BMW 540 in Black with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1999 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.8% with a typical mileage of 107,004 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 T78 SYJ, 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 27 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 T78 SYJ?

You can check the full history of T78 SYJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was T78 SYJ registered?

T78 SYJ is a 1999 BMW 540, first registered on 4 June 1999.

Is T78 SYJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for T78 SYJ shows 18 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 T78 SYJ 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 T78 SYJ. 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.