Is the BMW Z4 reliable?

On MOT evidence the BMW Z4 is well above average. It passes 80.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 53 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW Z4?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 13.7% of failed BMW Z4 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 Z4?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.1% of all BMW Z4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a BMW Z4 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 69,395 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.

Does a BMW Z4 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 91.2% of BMW Z4 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 72.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

BMW Z4 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 35,178 recorded MOT tests of the BMW Z4, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The BMW Z4 passes 80.1% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average, ranking it 53 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 35,178 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre cords visible or damaged, which appears in 13.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 69,395 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

80.1%national average72.3%unadjusted77.7%range covered92%rank53 of 262

The Z4 is 7.8 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 77.7%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW Z4 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre cords visible or damaged13.7%
918 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.3%
688 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.3%
687 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened9.7%
647 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged9.0%
601 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction8.1%
540 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.8%
520 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel7.5%
500 occurrencesRoad wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.4%
498 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.8%
452 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW Z4 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.1%
7,081 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded13.0%
4,576 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.0%
4,204 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged11.0%
3,878 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users7.6%
2,661 tests
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.2%
1,839 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.1%
1,796 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened4.0%
1,417 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs91%

6–8 yrs88%

9–11 yrs82%

12–14 yrs81%

15+ yrs72%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Z4 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 69,395
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Check a specific BMW Z4

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

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Porsche Macan — 89.5% adjusted, ranked 2
Volkswagen Sharan — 74.2% adjusted, ranked 119
Ford Grand C-Max — 68.6% adjusted, ranked 187
Renault Scenic — 61.8% adjusted, ranked 248

Common questions

Is the BMW Z4 reliable?: On MOT evidence the BMW Z4 is well above average. It passes 80.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 53 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW Z4?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 13.7% of failed BMW Z4 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 Z4?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.1% of all BMW Z4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a BMW Z4 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 69,395 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.
Does a BMW Z4 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 91.2% of BMW Z4 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 72.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.