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M5 FTY

1998 BMW 540

Black Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Sep 2026
Tests25 (15 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

Typical for 1998 BMW 540116,079 mi
4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationM5 FTY
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1998
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

15 pass 10 fail
Pass 5 Sep 2025
Pass 10 Sep 2024
Pass 14 Sep 2023

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both sides painted (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 4 Sep 2019

Offside Rear Inner Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Inner Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

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

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

Fail 25 Jul 2019

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Inner Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

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

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

Fail 10 Jan 2019 168,976 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault air bag (7.1.6 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 11 Jan 2018 165,722 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2017 162,692 miles

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

Fail 4 Jan 2017 162,692 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 8 Jan 2016 158,687 miles

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

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

Pass 7 Jan 2015 154,568 miles
Pass 3 Jan 2014 149,982 miles

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Fail 24 Dec 2013 149,975 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Pass 7 Jan 2013 145,149 miles
Fail 3 Jan 2013 145,121 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage worn but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage worn but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Pass 15 Dec 2011
Pass 6 Jan 2011 138,347 miles
Fail 17 Dec 2010 138,322 miles

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

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

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

Offside 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 Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Fail 24 Nov 2010 138,288 miles

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

Nail in rear tyre

Pass 25 Nov 2009 137,774 miles

offside front tyre bald on inside edge

offside rear tyre on indicators of 2mm

Pass 27 Nov 2008 137,155 miles

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

offside front tyre worn on the inner edge

Pass 28 Nov 2007 135,494 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2007 135,494 miles

Centre Rear Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Centre Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Front registration plate displaying an unacceptable symbol or flag on a dual purpose plate (6.3.5)

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

Rear registration plate displaying an unacceptable symbol or flag on a dual purpose plate (6.3.5)

Pass 7 Apr 2006 132,797 miles
Fail 5 Apr 2006 132,797 miles

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

Nearside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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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M5 FTY is a 1998 BMW 540 in Black with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

Across all 1998 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.2% with a typical mileage of 116,079 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 M5 FTY, 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 28 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 M5 FTY?

You can check the full history of M5 FTY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M5 FTY registered?

M5 FTY is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 30 September 1998.

Is M5 FTY safe to buy?

The MOT history for M5 FTY shows 25 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M5 FTY 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 M5 FTY. 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.