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M9 VBS

1996 BMW 540

Silver Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires17 Nov 2015
Tests15 (8 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate53.3%

Mileage

239,864 mi
Last recorded239,864 miles
Recorded on29 Oct 2014
Typical for 1996 BMW 540125,563 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationM9 VBS
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1996
ColourSilver
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

8 pass 7 fail
Pass 29 Oct 2014 239,864 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Oil leak

Fail 29 Oct 2014 239,864 miles

Driver's airbag obviously defective (5.4.1)

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

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

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Oil leak

Pass 18 Nov 2013 231,754 miles
Fail 12 Nov 2013 231,752 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Nearside Rear Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.2.5b)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 9 Nov 2012 221,276 miles

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

nearside rear jacking point surface corroded

offside front fog inoperative

Fail 9 Nov 2012 221,276 miles

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

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

nearside rear jacking point surface corroded

offside front fog inoperative

Pass 12 Nov 2011 212,555 miles
Fail 11 Nov 2011 212,553 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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 16 Nov 2010 203,921 miles

outersill covers fitted

rear brake discs deteriorated

rear exhaust heat sheild deteriorated

vehicle has been stood

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

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1a)

brake noise

front brake discs deteriorated

offside and nearside outersills coroded

offside mirror glass deteriorated (attention required)

Pass 29 Jul 2009 203,174 miles
Fail 4 Aug 2008 193,624 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

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

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Front registration plate character(s) likely to be misread (6.3.4b)

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

Rear registration plate character(s) likely to be misread (6.3.4b)

Pass 7 Sep 2007 180,252 miles

front brake discs corroded/pitted on inner faces:- recommend new.

front to rear brake pipes corroded abd will soon need replacing.

Fail 7 Sep 2007 180,251 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

front brake discs corroded/pitted on inner faces:- recommend new .

front to rear brake pipes corroded and will need attention in near future.

Pass 11 Jul 2006 159,004 miles
Fail 4 Jul 2006 159,004 miles

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

Nearside Rear Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bearing (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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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M9 VBS is a 1996 BMW 540 in Silver with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 15 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 53.3%.

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 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 M9 VBS, 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 M9 VBS?

You can check the full history of M9 VBS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M9 VBS registered?

M9 VBS is a 1996 BMW 540, first registered on 30 December 1996.

Is M9 VBS safe to buy?

The MOT history for M9 VBS shows 15 tests with a 53.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M9 VBS 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 M9 VBS. 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.