BMW Z4 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the BMW Z4 took 35,539 MOT tests in Britain and passed 77% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 35,539
First-time pass rate: 77%
All cars: 71%

What the Z4 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Suspension6.7% (all cars 9.0%)
Lights and electrics6.4% (all cars 11.3%)
Tyres5.9% (all cars 6.4%)
Brakes5.6% (all cars 6.8%)
Visibility4.0% (all cars 4.8%)
Exhaust and emissions3.0% (all cars 3.1%)
Seat belts and airbags1.6% (all cars 1.0%)
Wheels1.5% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 2.0%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 1.9%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 1.9%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.8%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.6%
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded 1.5%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault 1.4%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.4%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 14.4%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 8.5%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 7.9%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 6.3%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 5.8%
Brake pads: wearing thin 4.7%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 3.7%
Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil 2.8%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2003	2,710	66%
2004	3,312	68%
2005	2,246	65%
2006	3,284	71%
2007	3,283	73%
2008	1,923	71%
2009	2,547	80%
2010	2,019	79%
2011	2,000	82%
2012	1,916	80%
2013	1,605	80%
2014	1,959	85%
2015	1,604	86%
2016	1,240	84%
2019	2,068	90%
2020	1,570	92%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	16,588 miles
4 years	20,499 miles
6 years	34,255 miles
7 years	35,640 miles
8 years	42,563 miles
9 years	48,478 miles
10 years	54,102 miles
11 years	59,630 miles
12 years	61,954 miles
13 years	67,337 miles
14 years	71,041 miles
15 years	77,689 miles
16 years	83,700 miles
17 years	87,054 miles
18 years	91,494 miles
19 years	93,624 miles
20 years	95,838 miles

Check a particular Z4

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other BMW models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.