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A15 VBE

1996 BMW 540

Grey Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Mar 2026
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

161,009 mi
Last recorded161,009 miles
Recorded on3 Mar 2026
Typical for 1996 BMW 540125,563 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationA15 VBE
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1996
ColourGrey
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

20 pass 7 fail
Fail 3 Mar 2026 161,009 miles

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken LOWER COIL (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Feb 2025 159,276 miles
Pass 12 Mar 2024 157,869 miles
Pass 28 Feb 2023 156,498 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2022 155,242 miles
Pass 2 Mar 2021 153,676 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2020 152,738 miles
Pass 12 Mar 2019 151,582 miles
Pass 13 Mar 2018 150,080 miles
Pass 16 Mar 2017 148,659 miles
Fail 7 Mar 2017 148,507 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Mar 2016 143,660 miles

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 2 Mar 2016 143,557 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 4 Mar 2015 137,715 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 21 Mar 2014 133,052 miles

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

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

Pass 24 Sep 2012 131,886 miles
Fail 17 Sep 2012 131,562 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

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

Pass 28 Sep 2011 126,308 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2010 122,325 miles

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

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

Fail 29 Sep 2010 122,323 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

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

Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the left. (1.8)

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

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

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

Pass 14 Oct 2009 116,865 miles
Fail 7 Oct 2009 116,755 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Pass 25 Sep 2008 109,728 miles
Fail 24 Sep 2008 109,725 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Pass 3 Oct 2007 102,071 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2006 92,514 miles
Pass 14 Oct 2005 81,409 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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A15 VBE is a 1996 BMW 540 in Grey with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

Across all 1996 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.2% with a typical mileage of 125,563 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 A15 VBE, 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 30 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 A15 VBE?

You can check the full history of A15 VBE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A15 VBE registered?

A15 VBE is a 1996 BMW 540, first registered on 16 September 1996.

Is A15 VBE safe to buy?

The MOT history for A15 VBE shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A15 VBE 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 A15 VBE. 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.