MOT fail rates

BMW Z3 MOT fail rate by age

How often the BMW Z3 fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 36,516 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 22 September 2026

At 24 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 24 (n=9,582)31.4%

All cars at 24 years (n=428,815)37.8%

Median mileage at test84,058

All cars, median mileage97,398

13 of 85 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 24 years.

What stands out

At 20 years the BMW Z3 fails 29.2% of MOTs (1,290 tests), 13.5 points below the 42.8% for all cars that age. At 25 years it fails 32.4% (9,236 tests), 3.9 points below the 36.3% average.
The gap is widest at 20 years: 13.5 points below all cars.
Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 24 years: Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, at 4.3 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

BMW Z3: share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference	Median mileage
20 years	29.2%	1,290	42.8%	−13.5 pts	75,806 miles
21 years	29.7%	3,227	42.1%	−12.4 pts	78,379 miles
22 years	30.2%	5,181	41.0%	−10.8 pts	79,772 miles
23 years	31.0%	8,000	39.6%	−8.6 pts	82,501 miles
24 years	31.4%	9,582	37.8%	−6.4 pts	84,058 miles
25 years	32.4%	9,236	36.3%	−3.9 pts	86,016 miles

Most common fail items at 24 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Major	4.3
Airbag (SRS) warning light on Major	3.7
Suspension ball joint worn Major	3.1
Coil spring broken Major	2.7
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Major	2.7
Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Major	2.4
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault Major	2.3

Out of 9,582 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Side/position light not working Major	4
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Major	2.7
Wipers not clearing screen Major	2.6

Out of 9,582 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 24 years

Model	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
BMW 3 Series	34.3%	13,295	37.8%
BMW 5 Series	35.3%	4,837	37.8%
BMW 7 Series	28.2%	1,264	37.8%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated 28 September 2026.

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First used	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
1998	25 years in 2023	33.6%	2,684	36.3%
1999	25 years in 2024	30.2%	2,736	36.3%
2000	25 years in 2025	29.5%	1,859	36.3%
2001	24 years in 2025	28.1%	1,753	37.8%
2002	23 years in 2025	26.2%	1,045	39.6%

More on the BMW Z3

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Looking at one BMW Z3?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 22 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources