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L20 HCW

1996 BMW 316

Red Petrol 1596cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Aug 2026
Tests28 (19 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate67.9%

Mileage

116,148 mi
Last recorded116,148 miles
Recorded on28 Aug 2025
Typical for 1996 BMW 316104,488 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationL20 HCW
MakeBMW
Model316
Year1996
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,596cc

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

19 pass 9 fail
Pass 28 Aug 2025 116,148 miles

Exhaust rear section corroding

Nearside Rear Brake cable damaged but not to excess parking brake cable (1.1.15 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 9 Aug 2024 103,113 miles
Pass 11 Jul 2023 101,653 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 11 Jul 2023 101,653 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 30 Nov 2022 101,292 miles

Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (3.1 (b) (i))

Headlamp levelling device inoperative (4.1.5 (a))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting missing (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected (5.3.6 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Pass 24 Nov 2021 99,854 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2020 97,791 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2020 97,781 miles

Nearside Front All direction indicators incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front All direction indicators incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers insecurely attached (5.3.2 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Jun 2019 95,822 miles

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

Fail 3 Jun 2019 95,811 miles

Nearside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Pass 30 May 2018 94,404 miles
Fail 29 May 2018 94,388 miles

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

Rear Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))

Pass 2 Jun 2017 92,485 miles

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

Pass 28 May 2016 90,294 miles
Pass 27 May 2015 85,845 miles
Fail 22 May 2015 85,839 miles

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 31 May 2014 83,505 miles
Pass 25 May 2013 80,835 miles
Pass 31 May 2012 77,802 miles
Fail 26 May 2012 77,779 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

Pass 25 May 2011 75,358 miles
Pass 28 May 2010 72,930 miles
Fail 26 May 2010 72,909 miles

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 20 May 2009 70,119 miles
Pass 19 May 2008 67,260 miles
Pass 21 May 2007 63,841 miles
Fail 14 May 2007 63,769 miles

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Pass 20 May 2006 60,382 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 316?

Based on 1,210,990 MOT tests across 108,989 vehicles.

69.2%
Pass Rate
5,781
Miles/Year
38
Year Lifespan
108,989
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 71,150
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 70,761
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 45,241
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 39,617
parking brake recording little or no effort 33,703
Full BMW 316 reliability report

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L20 HCW is a 1996 BMW 316 in Red with a 1,596cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.9%.

Across all 1996 BMW 316 models, the average MOT pass rate is 64.6% with a typical mileage of 104,488 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a BMW 316 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 71,150 recorded failures. If you're considering buying L20 HCW, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 316 typically stays on UK roads for around 38 years. At 30 years old, this BMW 316 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of L20 HCW?

You can check the full history of L20 HCW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L20 HCW registered?

L20 HCW is a 1996 BMW 316, first registered on 30 December 1996.

Is L20 HCW safe to buy?

The MOT history for L20 HCW shows 28 tests with a 67.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L20 HCW 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 L20 HCW. 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.