2016 BMW 740 3.0L Diesel · SA06 LLA

A clean, consistent run of pass certificates at the recent DVSA tests culminating in a no-defect result dated 19 December 2025 presents this 2016 BMW 740 as a fundamentally sound roadworthy proposition on paper. Across four consecutive annual examinations the tester has not recorded a single category of failure, and the only items ever flagged appear in the January 2022 pass as advisories rather than immediate refusals. That cluster of advisories targeted exclusively the front suspension and steering geometry, and the absence of any repeat advisories on the same or neighbouring components over the four tests since then suggests the wear identified in 2022 was either rectified at the time or simply has not progressed to a stage the tester considered worth recording. The overall trajectory is one of stable mechanical condition rather than deterioration, which is the most encouraging read the history allows. With 111,401 miles recorded against a ten-year span, the vehicle is averaging roughly 11,140 miles per year, a figure broadly typical for a luxury saloon of this age and one that points to regular, mixed-use motoring rather than either neglectful long-term storage or punishing high-mileage accumulation. There are no unusual gaps between tests that might suggest the car spent extended periods off the road, and the steady annual rhythm of examinations implies continuous use. Mechanically this usage profile is favourable: regular running keeps seals, flexible hoses, brake system internals, and drivetrain components cycled and exercised, while the mileage itself is not so high as to imply imminent major wear items such as timing chain stretch, automatic transmission rebuilds, or heavy turbocharger fatigue, though on a 740-series these remain worth a sensory check rather than being dismissed on mileage alone. The January 2022 advisories on both the nearside and offside front anti-roll bar linkage pins or bushes, the front suspension component ball joints, and the track rod end ball joint form the most useful starting point for any physical inspection. Anti-roll bar link wear on a car of this age and specification typically presents as a metallic clonking or rattle over sharper speed humps and when cornering over undulating surfaces, transmitted through the bulkhead as a structural vibration rather than a cushioned suspension noise. Light play in the front ball joints, whether suspension arm or steering-related, often reveals itself as a slight looseness in the steering response around the straight-ahead position, a vagueness that becomes more pronounced during slow-speed direction changes, or a faint kerb-thump noise that does not fully dampen after the impact. The track rod end, given its advisory, is worth checking specifically by rocking the steering wheel with the car stationary to feel for any lost motion between the steering input and the road wheel response. On a test drive, pay particular attention to how the front end behaves over broken tarmac and at low speed over speed cushions, listening for any recurrence of the clonking or knocking that originally prompted the 2022 advisories, as those areas are precisely where anti-roll bar links first audibly degrade. The steering should feel precise and self-centring with no pull to either side under steady throttle on a flat road, and any judder felt through the brake pedal under moderate deceleration would warrant a close look at the discs and pads, which are not separately recorded in the MOT file but are commonly the first consumable to require attention at this mileage. With the formal MOT record showing nothing more concerning than a four-year-old cluster of front-end wear advisories that have not been repeated since, the data supports proceeding to a hands-on evaluation focused on those exact suspension and steering joints rather than indicating any deeper structural concern.