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BG51 SWW

2001 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Oct 2026
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

182,072 mi
Last recorded182,072 miles
Recorded on24 Oct 2025
Typical for 2001 BMW 540106,299 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationBG51 SWW
MakeBMW
Model540
Year2001
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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 24 Oct 2025 182,072 miles
Pass 26 Oct 2024 175,066 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 22 May 2023 172,851 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 25 May 2022 172,702 miles
Fail 19 May 2022 172,702 miles

Fuel hose leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 7 May 2021 172,187 miles

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

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 5 May 2021 172,187 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 7 Dec 2019 171,803 miles

engine covers and under side covers fitted

Fail 3 Dec 2019 171,803 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn front arme (5.3.4 (a) (i))

engine covers and under side covers fitted

Pass 15 Nov 2018 169,949 miles
Fail 14 Nov 2018 169,949 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage insecure and impairing directional stability (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 12 Dec 2017 144,687 miles

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

engine covers fitted

r/h l/h under side covers fitted

slight oil leak rear diff

Pass 10 Dec 2008 142,075 miles

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

Pass 24 Nov 2007 131,529 miles
Fail 22 Nov 2007 131,529 miles

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area in excess of a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 18 Nov 2006 116,952 miles
Fail 16 Nov 2006 116,951 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Pass 16 Nov 2005 99,625 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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BG51 SWW is a 2001 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 2001 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.0% with a typical mileage of 106,299 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 BG51 SWW, 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 25 years old, this BMW 540 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of BG51 SWW?

You can check the full history of BG51 SWW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BG51 SWW registered?

BG51 SWW is a 2001 BMW 540, first registered on 12 December 2001.

Is BG51 SWW safe to buy?

The MOT history for BG51 SWW 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 BG51 SWW 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 BG51 SWW. 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.