CarVerify

Free Car Check

F6 SMO

1996 BMW 3 Series

Red Petrol 2793cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires18 Aug 2024
Tests22 (17 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate77.3%

Mileage

108,956 mi
Last recorded108,956 miles
Recorded on19 Aug 2023
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
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

RegistrationF6 SMO
MakeBMW
Model3 Series
Year1996
ColourRed
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 5 fail
Pass 19 Aug 2023 108,956 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Jul 2022 108,203 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Mar 2021 107,684 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 12 Mar 2020 106,807 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Front Coil spring corroded offside+nearside (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Mar 2019 106,023 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring worn (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Parking (secondary brake) grabbing slightly (1.3.1 (c))

Pass 24 Mar 2018 105,100 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2017

Nearside Front coil spring modified but not seriously weakened (2.4.A.2)

Offside Front coil spring modified but not seriously weakened (2.4.A.2)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 14 Mar 2016 97,814 miles
Fail 4 Mar 2016 97,814 miles

Nearside Front Lower Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 7 Mar 2015 93,714 miles

Nearside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

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

Pass 12 Mar 2014 89,205 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Fail 10 Mar 2014 89,205 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Inner Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Fail 24 Feb 2014 89,180 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

corrosion to both rear floors/sills

Fail 1 Mar 2013 86,959 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too far to the left (1.8)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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

Pass 1 Mar 2013 86,959 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

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

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

Pass 9 Nov 2011 85,778 miles

Nearside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Oil leak

nearside front door mirror indcator not working.

Fail 8 Nov 2011 85,778 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Inner Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Oil leak

nearside front door mirror indcator not working.

Pass 5 Nov 2010 83,111 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 19 Nov 2009 79,853 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2008 72,087 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2007 63,800 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2006 54,202 miles

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

F6 SMO is a 1996 BMW 3 Series in Red with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.3%.

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 F6 SMO, 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 F6 SMO?

You can check the full history of F6 SMO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F6 SMO registered?

F6 SMO is a 1996 BMW 3 Series, first registered on 4 January 1996.

Is F6 SMO safe to buy?

The MOT history for F6 SMO shows 22 tests with a 77.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F6 SMO 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 F6 SMO. 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.