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38 BL

1996 Mercedes-benz Sl

Blue Petrol 4973cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Jan 2027
Tests25 (18 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate72%

Mileage

92,054 mi
Last recorded92,054 miles
Recorded on5 Jan 2026
Typical for 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl82,468 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Mercedes-benz
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

Registration38 BL
MakeMercedes-benz
ModelSl
Year1996
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,973cc

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

18 pass 7 fail
Pass 5 Jan 2026 92,054 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front fog light not working

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule both (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Fail 5 Jan 2026 92,054 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front fog light not working

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule both (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Side repeater incorrect colour both (4.4.3 (a))

Pass 3 Jan 2025 91,830 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front fog lamp not working

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Side repeater slightly discoloured both (4.4.3 (a))

centre exhaust box deteriorated outer casing

Pass 9 Jan 2024 91,470 miles

Central exhaust box deteriorated at outer casing

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front fog light not working

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Side repeater slightly discoloured both (4.4.3 (a))

Pass 12 Dec 2022 90,320 miles

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material N/S AND O/S (1.1.11 (c))

Rear SILENCER CORRODED

Fail 12 Dec 2022 90,320 miles

Headlamp aim too low N/S AND O/S (4.1.2 (a))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material N/S AND O/S (1.1.11 (c))

Rear SILENCER CORRODED

Pass 5 Jan 2022 88,957 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 18 Dec 2020 88,858 miles
Fail 18 Dec 2020 88,858 miles

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 3 Jan 2020 88,837 miles
Pass 20 Dec 2018 88,579 miles
Pass 23 Aug 2016 88,506 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules all 4 (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Front Bumper insecure ()

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit also 12 years old (4.1.E.1)

Steering damper slight oil seepage (2.2.C.1f)

wiper worn- smearing

Pass 10 Jun 2015 87,774 miles

Exhaust system corroded

Offside rear tyre worn to 3mm

Fail 10 Jun 2015 87,774 miles

Centre Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Exhaust system corroded

Offside rear tyre worn to 3mm

Pass 21 Feb 2014 87,427 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

condensation in nearside headlamp causing weak pattern

front number plate cracked

front wiper blade starting to smear windscreen

rear exhaust silencer corroded and in poor condition

slight surface corrosion to all 4 brake discs

Pass 25 Jul 2012 87,233 miles
Fail 20 Jul 2012 87,024 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Pass 21 Jul 2011 85,893 miles
Fail 19 Jul 2011 85,889 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Nearside rear brake juddering severely (3.7.A.5b)

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

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside rear brake juddering severely (3.7.A.5b)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

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

Nearside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

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

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

both rear tyres worn on inner edges

Pass 11 Jun 2010 84,824 miles
Pass 11 Jun 2009 83,658 miles
Pass 14 Jun 2008 80,144 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2008 80,144 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Front coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Offside Front Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 7 Sep 2007 74,896 miles
Pass 3 Sep 2005 57,776 miles

How Reliable is the Mercedes-benz Sl?

Based on 528,820 MOT tests across 35,553 vehicles.

83.4%
Pass Rate
2,023
Miles/Year
43
Year Lifespan
35,553
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 8,801
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 3,812
Brake pipe excessively corroded 3,463
Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 3,077
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 2,767
Full Mercedes-benz Sl reliability report

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38 BL is a 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl in Blue with a 4,973cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72%.

Across all 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl models, the average MOT pass rate is 82.3% with a typical mileage of 82,468 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 Mercedes-benz Sl fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 8,801 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 38 BL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mercedes-benz Sl typically stays on UK roads for around 43 years. At 30 years old, this Mercedes-benz Sl is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 38 BL?

You can check the full history of 38 BL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 38 BL registered?

38 BL is a 1996 Mercedes-benz Sl, first registered on 13 August 1996.

Is 38 BL safe to buy?

The MOT history for 38 BL shows 25 tests with a 72% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 38 BL 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 38 BL. 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.