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VDW 31S

1978 BMW 3 Series

Red Petrol 1990cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires16 Jul 2016
Tests17 (10 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate58.8%

Mileage

67,400 mi
Last recorded67,400 miles
Recorded on17 Jul 2015
Typical for 1978 BMW 3 Series73,526 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

RegistrationVDW 31S
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1978
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,990cc

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

10 pass 7 fail
Pass 17 Jul 2015 67,400 miles
Pass 9 Jul 2014 67,347 miles
Fail 7 Jul 2014 67,347 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (7.3.B.1b)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

rear parking (secondary) brakes imbalanced (3.7.B.6b)

Pass 5 Jun 2013 67,343 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

all four brake hoses cracking

both rear brakes binding

o/s/r metal brake pipe corroded

slight play o/s/f steering rack arm

Fail 4 Jun 2013 67,343 miles

Rear Stop lamp remains on when the brakes are released (1.2.1e)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

all four brake hoses cracking

both rear brakes binding

o/s/r metal brake pipe corroded

slight play o/s/f steering rack arm

Pass 13 Jun 2012 67,293 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

all four brake hoses cracking

slight play inside steering rack o/s/f

slight play o/s/f seat base

Fail 7 Jun 2012 67,293 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear Stop lamp remains on when the brakes are released (1.2.1e)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

all four brake hoses cracking

slight play inside steering rack o/s/f

slight play o/s/f seat base

Pass 2 Jun 2011 67,228 miles

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

Pass 7 Jun 2010 67,168 miles

Suspension joint nearside lower dust cover split/missing

Suspension joint offside lower dust cover split/missing

front brake discs slightly pitted

slight dampness on n/s/r drive shaft gaiter

slight g/box oil leak

slight play in o/s/f steering rack arm

Fail 7 Jun 2010 67,168 miles

slight g/box oil leak

slight play in o/s/f steering rack arm

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Suspension joint nearside lower dust cover split/missing

Suspension joint offside lower dust cover split/missing

front brake discs slightly pitted

slight dampness on n/s/r drive shaft gaiter

Pass 11 Jun 2009 67,038 miles

grease covers on both bottom ball joints split

slight play in o/s of steering rack

Fail 4 Jun 2009 67,038 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Offside Front coil spring incomplete (2.4.C.1a)

grease covers on both bottom ball joints split

slight play in o/s of steering rack

Pass 9 Jun 2008 66,571 miles

both front ball joint covers split

slight play in o/s of steering rack

Fail 4 Jun 2008 66,570 miles

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

both front ball joint covers split

slight play in o/s of steering rack

Pass 4 Jun 2007 66,511 miles
Fail 22 May 2007 66,511 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Brake valve leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3) DANGEROUS

Nearside rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2) DANGEROUS

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1) DANGEROUS

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a) DANGEROUS

Oil leak

all four brake hoses cracking and both rears corroded

both fronts and o/s/r shock absorbers slightly weak

heavy corrosion both rear chassis boxs and both fronts

n/s/f and o/s/f bottom ball joint gaitor split

Pass 31 May 2006 66,473 miles

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

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

both frount bottom ball joint grease covers broken

oil leak

thick sealent covering both rear under sills

How Reliable is the BMW 3 Series?

Based on 12,840,406 MOT tests across 1,004,285 vehicles.

75.1%
Pass Rate
6,672
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
1,004,285
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 485,475
Brake pipe excessively corroded 323,327
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 253,205
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 185,099
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 182,360
Full BMW 3 Series reliability report

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VDW 31S is a 1978 BMW 3 Series in Red with a 1,990cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.8%.

Across all 1978 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.3% with a typical mileage of 73,526 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 3 Series fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 485,475 recorded failures. If you're considering buying VDW 31S, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 3 Series typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 48 years old, this BMW 3 Series is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of VDW 31S?

You can check the full history of VDW 31S by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was VDW 31S registered?

VDW 31S is a 1978 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 8 May 1978.

Is VDW 31S safe to buy?

The MOT history for VDW 31S shows 17 tests with a 58.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does VDW 31S 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 VDW 31S. 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.