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R130 ECR

1998 BMW 540

Bronze Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Jul 2026
Tests19 (13 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate68.4%

Mileage

183,485 mi
Last recorded183,485 miles
Recorded on9 Jul 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW 540116,079 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR130 ECR
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1998
ColourBronze
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

13 pass 6 fail
Pass 9 Jul 2025 183,485 miles

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 12 Jul 2022 183,358 miles
Fail 29 Jun 2022 183,358 miles

Nearside Parking brake inoperative on one side low reading (1.4.1 (a))

Nearside Rear Outer Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 10 Jul 2021 183,143 miles

Offside Front Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive strut top mount (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Jul 2019 179,958 miles
Pass 23 May 2018
Fail 17 May 2018

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

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

Headlamp not working on main beam BOTH (1.7.5a)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (3.7.E.1)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 29 Apr 2017

Central EXHAUST MOUNTS SPLIT

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

Fail 24 Apr 2017

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)

Headlamp not working on main beam BOTH (1.7.5a)

Central EXHAUST MOUNTS SPLIT

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

Pass 11 Mar 2014

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

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

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

all exhaust rubbers perished

Fail 6 Mar 2014

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

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

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

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

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

all exhaust rubbers perished

Pass 23 Mar 2013

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

Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)

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

Nearside Rear Lower Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Lower Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp does not illuminate (5.4.2)

Fail 5 Mar 2013

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

Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

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)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

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

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

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 13 Mar 2012 143,858 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

airbag light on

Fail 13 Mar 2012 143,858 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

airbag light on

Pass 30 Jul 2011

Nearside Rear Lower Radius arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Lower Radius arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

exhaust mounts perished

Pass 28 Jul 2008 133,592 miles
Pass 20 Jul 2007 125,949 miles
Pass 14 Jul 2006

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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R130 ECR is a 1998 BMW 540 in Bronze with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.4%.

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 R130 ECR, 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 R130 ECR?

You can check the full history of R130 ECR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R130 ECR registered?

R130 ECR is a 1998 BMW 540, first registered on 24 April 1998.

Is R130 ECR safe to buy?

The MOT history for R130 ECR shows 19 tests with a 68.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R130 ECR 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 R130 ECR. 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.