CarVerify

Free Car Check

C9 HCL

1996 BMW 3 Series

Green Diesel 2498cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires25 Feb 2022
Tests20 (13 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate65%

Mileage

166,404 mi
Last recorded166,404 miles
Recorded on26 Feb 2021
Typical for 1996 BMW 3 Series112,776 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationC9 HCL
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1996
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,498cc

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 7 fail
Pass 26 Feb 2021 166,404 miles

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

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

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

Fail 26 Feb 2021 166,404 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Pass 1 Feb 2020 162,622 miles

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

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

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

Pass 29 Jan 2019 179,517 miles
Fail 22 Jan 2019 179,429 miles

Nearside Front Lower Engine mounting damaged or deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (6.1.8 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Vehicle structure is fractured and structural rigidity is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Vehicle structure is fractured and structural rigidity is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Dec 2017 172,857 miles

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

rear parking (secondary) brake imbalance requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.6b)

Fail 11 Dec 2017 172,855 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

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

Pass 29 Oct 2014 169,478 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Oil leak

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 30 Oct 2013 161,635 miles
Fail 30 Oct 2013 161,653 miles

Nearside Front Lower Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 15 Oct 2012 154,612 miles
Fail 15 Oct 2012 154,612 miles

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

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

Pass 4 Oct 2011 146,753 miles
Pass 11 Oct 2010 138,900 miles

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

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

Fail 11 Oct 2010 138,900 miles

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

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

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

Pass 12 Oct 2009 129,205 miles
Pass 2 Oct 2008 11,880 miles
Pass 2 Oct 2007 107,482 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

plastic covers fitted over sills,not inspected.

plastic covers fitted to underside,not fully inspected.

Pass 6 Oct 2006 97,802 miles
Fail 6 Oct 2006 97,802 miles

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

both rear coil springs coroded

play in both front bottom outer ball joints

play in both front rear suspension arm bushes

surface corosion rear metal brake pipes

How Reliable is the BMW 3 Series?

Based on 12,840,406 MOT tests across 1,004,285 vehicles.

75.1%
Pass Rate
6,672
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
1,004,285
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 485,475
Brake pipe excessively corroded 323,327
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 253,205
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 185,099
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 182,360
Full BMW 3 Series reliability report

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

C9 HCL is a 1996 BMW 3 Series in Green with a 2,498cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65%.

Across all 1996 BMW 3 Series models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.6% with a typical mileage of 112,776 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 3 Series fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 485,475 recorded failures. If you're considering buying C9 HCL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 3 Series typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 30 years old, this BMW 3 Series is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of C9 HCL?

You can check the full history of C9 HCL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C9 HCL registered?

C9 HCL is a 1996 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 1 August 1996.

Is C9 HCL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C9 HCL shows 20 tests with a 65% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C9 HCL 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 C9 HCL. 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.