How reliable is the BMW Z3 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the BMW Z3, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 70.3% across 11,194 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW Z3?

The item recorded most often is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", which appears in 13.5% of failed BMW Z3 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a BMW Z3?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 28.8% of all BMW Z3 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a BMW Z3 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 84,658 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

BMW Z3 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 11,194 recorded MOT tests of the BMW Z3, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 11,194 MOT tests, 70.3% of BMW Z3 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the BMW Z3 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, which appears in 13.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 84,658 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

70.3%unadjusted, not comparable11,194 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Z3. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 11,194 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW Z3 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded13.5%
381 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.6%
354 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction11.4%
320 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.4%
292 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer10.2%
288 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened9.2%
260 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement8.0%
225 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.7%
216 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.Warning device shows system malfunction7.6%
214 occurrencesBrake system warning lamp on, or not working explained
10.Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits7.3%
206 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW Z3 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded28.8%
3,227 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.3%
1,824 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.4%
1,499 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements13.0%
1,456 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users12.3%
1,378 tests
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded9.2%
1,026 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.5%
955 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.4%
935 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained

What gets tested

The Z3 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 84,658
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Check a specific BMW Z3

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other BMW models

BMW 3 Series — 80.0% adjusted
BMW 1 Series — 77.6% adjusted
BMW 5 Series — 82.0% adjusted
BMW 2 Series — 82.9% adjusted
BMW X1 — 79.5% adjusted
BMW 4 Series — 83.2% adjusted
All BMW models

Common questions

How reliable is the BMW Z3 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the BMW Z3, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 70.3% across 11,194 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW Z3?: The item recorded most often is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", which appears in 13.5% of failed BMW Z3 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a BMW Z3?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 28.8% of all BMW Z3 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a BMW Z3 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 84,658 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.