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P656 HJH

1996 BMW 540

Blue Petrol 4398cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Sep 2026
Tests26 (18 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate69.2%

Mileage

104,259 mi
Last recorded104,259 miles
Recorded on26 Sep 2025
Typical for 1996 BMW 540125,563 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

RegistrationP656 HJH
MakeBMW
Model540
Year1996
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,398cc

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

18 pass 8 fail
Pass 26 Sep 2025 104,259 miles

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Rear brake pipe's running along o/s/r tight along fuel tank corroded and unable to inspect extent of corrosion. (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 26 Sep 2025 104,259 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose excessively twisted causing hose to hit shock absorber and anti roll bar link mount. (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Rear brake pipe's running along o/s/r tight along fuel tank corroded and unable to inspect extent of corrosion. (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 31 Oct 2023 104,192 miles
Pass 7 Nov 2022 102,972 miles

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

Pass 4 Sep 2021 102,569 miles

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. Nearside low (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 26 Aug 2020 101,421 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2019 100,582 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Inner Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

The nearside handbrake reading is low.

Pass 10 Sep 2018 97,906 miles

Nearside Rear lower arm gaiters are deteriated.

Fail 31 Aug 2018 97,848 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear lower arm gaiters are deteriated.

Pass 9 Sep 2017 95,611 miles
Fail 16 Aug 2017 95,574 miles

Offside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 15 Jul 2016 93,621 miles
Pass 27 Jul 2015 90,606 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2014 88,427 miles

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

Fail 30 Jul 2014 88,427 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

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

Pass 22 Nov 2012 85,066 miles
Fail 22 Nov 2012 85,062 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Nov 2011 80,895 miles
Fail 8 Nov 2011 80,889 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Stop lamp emits other than a steady red light (1.2.1e)

Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 18 Jun 2010 76,689 miles
Fail 17 Jun 2010 76,686 miles

Nearside Rear rear brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.5b)

Nearside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

rear brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.5b)

Pass 17 Jun 2009 71,399 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both front brake discs have slight corrosion on them

Fail 13 Jun 2009 71,358 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both front brake discs have slight corrosion on them

Pass 7 Jun 2008 67,285 miles

Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 2 Jun 2007 65,400 miles
Pass 20 May 2006 63,084 miles

How Reliable is the BMW 540?

Based on 50,016 MOT tests across 4,152 vehicles.

71.9%
Pass Rate
4,801
Miles/Year
33
Year Lifespan
4,152
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,881
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2,341
Brake pipe excessively corroded 1,599
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,360
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 1,334
Full BMW 540 reliability report

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P656 HJH is a 1996 BMW 540 in Blue with a 4,398cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.2%.

Across all 1996 BMW 540 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.2% with a typical mileage of 125,563 miles. This vehicle is performing in line with others of the same year.

The most common reason a BMW 540 fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,881 recorded failures. If you're considering buying P656 HJH, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW 540 typically stays on UK roads for around 33 years. At 30 years old, this BMW 540 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of P656 HJH?

You can check the full history of P656 HJH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P656 HJH registered?

P656 HJH is a 1996 BMW 540, first registered on 25 November 1996.

Is P656 HJH safe to buy?

The MOT history for P656 HJH shows 26 tests with a 69.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P656 HJH 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 P656 HJH. 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.