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P543 PLW

1996 BMW M3

Black Petrol 3201cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Jul 2027
Tests18 (13 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate72.2%

Mileage

136,843 mi
Last recorded136,843 miles
Recorded on20 Jul 2026
Typical for 1996 BMW M3100,666 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

RegistrationP543 PLW
MakeBMW
ModelM3
Year1996
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,201cc

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 5 fail
Pass 20 Jul 2026 136,843 miles

brake worning lamp on

Fail 6 Jul 2026 136,812 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

brake worning lamp on

Pass 21 Oct 2024 135,180 miles
Pass 13 Oct 2023 134,322 miles
Pass 16 Dec 2020 134,287 miles

Nearside Front fog lamp not working

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

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

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

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

brake pad wear warning lamp on

Fail 14 Dec 2020 134,287 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim not tested (4.1.2 (b))

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

Offside Headlamp aim not tested (4.1.2 (b))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front fog lamp not working

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

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

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

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

brake pad wear warning lamp on

Pass 10 Dec 2019 133,955 miles

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

brake pad warning light on

Fail 9 Dec 2019 133,955 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

brake pad warning light on

Pass 17 Dec 2018 133,427 miles
Fail 14 Jan 2013 130,861 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 14 Jan 2013 130,861 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2011 125,473 miles

Centre Stop lamp deteriorated, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.2.1d)

Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Lower Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Oil leak

both front wiper blades deteriorating

front to rear metal brake pipes corroding at rear

Pass 31 Aug 2010 119,839 miles
Fail 24 Aug 2010 119,839 miles

Rear Brake hose excessively chafed (3.6.B.4d)

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

Rear registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Pass 19 Aug 2009 114,063 miles
Pass 3 Jul 2008 109,230 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

both rear flexi brake hose ferrules starting to corrode.

Pass 11 May 2007 104,291 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

oil leak from rear diff.

Pass 24 Mar 2006 99,853 miles

How Reliable is the BMW M3?

Based on 440,678 MOT tests across 34,038 vehicles.

80.8%
Pass Rate
3,682
Miles/Year
32
Year Lifespan
34,038
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 14,421
Brake pipe excessively corroded 7,386
coil spring incomplete 5,157
coil spring fractured 4,494
Tyre has ply or cords exposed 3,944
Full BMW M3 reliability report

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P543 PLW is a 1996 BMW M3 in Black with a 3,201cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.2%.

Across all 1996 BMW M3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 72.5% with a typical mileage of 100,666 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 M3 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 14,421 recorded failures. If you're considering buying P543 PLW, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW M3 typically stays on UK roads for around 32 years. At 30 years old, this BMW M3 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of P543 PLW?

You can check the full history of P543 PLW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P543 PLW registered?

P543 PLW is a 1996 BMW M3, first registered on 1 August 1996.

Is P543 PLW safe to buy?

The MOT history for P543 PLW shows 18 tests with a 72.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P543 PLW 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 P543 PLW. 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.