BMW Z4: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The BMW Z4 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 35,539 individual BMW Z4 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 80% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 BMW Z4s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average BMW Z4 tested had covered 68,502 miles and was built around 2010.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a BMW Z4 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific BMW Z4 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged BMW Z4s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a BMW Z4

1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.9% of tests (19.41x the national rate for this defect)
2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.7% of tests (2.34x the national rate for this defect)
3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.6% of tests (1.99x the national rate for this defect)
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.8% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.3% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.8% of tests
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.4% of tests
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.2% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.1% of tests
10. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1% of tests

From 66,360 DVSA-tracked BMW Z4 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.42% of these flagged BMW Z4 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

BMW Z4 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each BMW Z4 year:

• 2003 BMW Z4 - 73% first-time pass, 2,526 tests
• 2004 BMW Z4 - 74.4% first-time pass, 3,097 tests
• 2005 BMW Z4 - 70.8% first-time pass, 2,096 tests
• 2006 BMW Z4 - 74.1% first-time pass, 3,042 tests
• 2007 BMW Z4 - 76.5% first-time pass, 3,134 tests
• 2008 BMW Z4 - 75.1% first-time pass, 1,842 tests
• 2009 BMW Z4 - 82.9% first-time pass, 2,495 tests
• 2010 BMW Z4 - 82.8% first-time pass, 1,979 tests
• 2011 BMW Z4 - 83.9% first-time pass, 1,986 tests
• 2012 BMW Z4 - 82.6% first-time pass, 1,889 tests
• 2013 BMW Z4 - 83.4% first-time pass, 1,580 tests
• 2014 BMW Z4 - 84.5% first-time pass, 1,927 tests
• 2015 BMW Z4 - 86.4% first-time pass, 1,608 tests
• 2016 BMW Z4 - 85.1% first-time pass, 1,222 tests
• 2019 BMW Z4 - 90.5% first-time pass, 2,034 tests
• 2020 BMW Z4 - 91% first-time pass, 1,542 tests
• 2021 BMW Z4 - 91.5% first-time pass, 1,107 tests

Other BMW models

• BMW 3 Series - 76.8%
• BMW 118 - 81.9%
• BMW 116 - 78.6%
• BMW X1 - 85.2%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• BMW X5 - 81.2%
• BMW 1 Series - 81.6%
• BMW 520 - 80.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• MG 3 - 80.1%
• Nissan Serena - 80.1%
• Skoda Superb - 80%
• Lexus Is250 - 80%
• Land Rover Range Rover - 79.9%
• Suzuki Ignis - 79.8%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate