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ESS 8Y

1996 BMW 3 Series

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Dec 2026
Tests19 (17 pass, 2 fail)
Pass rate89.5%

Mileage

74,051 mi
Last recorded74,051 miles
Recorded on11 Dec 2025
Typical for 1996 BMW 3 Series112,776 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationESS 8Y
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1996
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,793cc

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

17 pass 2 fail
Pass 11 Dec 2025 74,051 miles
Pass 11 Dec 2024 73,332 miles
Fail 15 Nov 2024 73,327 miles

Front Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage loose (7.1.1 (b))

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage loose (7.1.1 (b))

Pass 26 Sep 2020 73,222 miles
Pass 20 May 2019 73,181 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

rear registration plate deteriorated

Pass 15 May 2018 73,037 miles
Pass 25 May 2017 72,773 miles

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

Offside Front Inner Brake lining(s) wearing thin wearing (3.5.1g)

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

Rear registration plate deteriorating

Pass 23 May 2016 72,489 miles

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 23 May 2016 72,489 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 18 May 2015 72,176 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 3 Jun 2014 71,583 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2013 71,162 miles

corrosion to both rear metal brake pipes

Pass 9 Jul 2012 70,260 miles
Pass 18 Jul 2011 69,525 miles
Pass 19 Jul 2010 68,616 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2009 67,526 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

Pass 7 Jul 2008 66,309 miles
Pass 23 Jul 2007 65,134 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2006 63,791 miles

offside front seat belt is slow in retracting.

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

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ESS 8Y is a 1996 BMW 3 Series in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 89.5%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 ESS 8Y, 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 ESS 8Y?

You can check the full history of ESS 8Y by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was ESS 8Y registered?

ESS 8Y is a 1996 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 30 December 1996.

Is ESS 8Y safe to buy?

The MOT history for ESS 8Y shows 19 tests with a 89.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does ESS 8Y 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 ESS 8Y. 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.