BMW Z3, Buying guide, MOT record and UK numbers
8,262 BMW Z3s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 70.3% of initial MOT tests, 2 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Z3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW Z3 at the MOT
70.3% of 11,195 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Z3 346th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Z3s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW Z3 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (5%), rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (4%) and srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault (3.7%).
The MOT page lists every common Z3 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Z3's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.22.3% of Z3 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.20.6% of Z3 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.17.5% of Z3 failure items
BMW Z3s in the UK
8,262 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 47% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −47%from 15,698 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 1999half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 1999 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 7,48048% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW Z3s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 15,698 |
| End of 2015 | 14,817 |
| End of 2016 | 14,003 |
| End of 2017 | 12,852 |
| End of 2018 | 11,989 |
| End of 2019 | 10,851 |
| End of 2020 | 9,849 |
| End of 2021 | 9,400 |
| End of 2022 | 8,723 |
| End of 2023 | 7,799 |
| End of 2024 | 7,127 |
| End of 2025 | 6,707 |
| End of June 2026 | 8,262 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW Z3s by year of first use.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 45 |
| 2002 | 597 |
| 2001 | 1,022 |
| 2000 | 1,046 |
| 1999 | 1,421 |
| 1998 | 1,207 |
| 1997 | 909 |
Z3 engine sizes
1.9 litre engines made up 40% of BMW Z3 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.8 litre at 22%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed Z3s.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 11,192 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the Z3's 70.3% MOT pass rate.
BMW Z3 FAQs
How many BMW Z3s are there in the UK?
8,262 BMW Z3s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 7,480 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW Z3 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 70.3% first-time pass rate for the BMW Z3 across 11,195 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used BMW Z3?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a BMW Z3's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Z3?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.