Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

Common problems by part

BMW Z4 steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 11,911 MOT tests · Updated

At 18 years, 0.5 in 100 MOT tests of the BMW Z4 failed on steering, against 3.9 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 11,911 MOT tests) [1].

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 62 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 20 ages from 3 to 22 years, 141,225 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 18 years: 11,911 for the BMW Z4

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.5 fails per 100 MOT tests at 18 years, against 3.9 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

BMW Z4 steering fails by age

BMW Z4 steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the BMW Z4. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0243 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 5,735 MOT tests34 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 4,701 MOT tests5 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 3,717 MOT tests56 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 3,410 MOT tests7 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 3,023 MOT tests78 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 4,963 MOT tests9 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 6,450 MOT tests910 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 7,093 MOT tests11 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 7,438 MOT tests1112 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 7,527 MOT tests13 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 8,469 MOT tests1314 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 8,494 MOT tests15 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 9,829 MOT tests1516 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 10,966 MOT tests17 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 10,611 MOT tests1718 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 11,911 MOT tests19 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 11,215 MOT tests1920 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 7,828 MOT tests21 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 5,469 MOT tests2122 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 4.0), 2,376 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. BMW Z4 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
35,7350.00.1
44,7010.00.2
53,7170.10.3
63,4100.10.5
73,0230.00.8
84,9630.01.2
96,4500.11.8
107,0930.12.1
117,4380.12.5
127,5270.22.8
138,4690.12.9
148,4940.43.2
159,8290.33.3
1610,9660.53.4
1710,6110.73.6
1811,9110.53.9
19*11,2150.84.1
20*7,8280.84.2
21*5,4690.74.2
22*2,3760.84.0

All first-use years of the BMW Z4 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the steering at 18 years

Advisories (not fails)

Buying a BMW Z4? Check that exact car before the viewing.

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 petrol: 0.5 per 100 at 18 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 3,170 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

Check one BMW Z4, not the average

The figures here describe BMW Z4 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

  • Check a BMW Z4's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
  • MOT advisory checker Paste an advisory or defect to read DVSA's wording, its grade and what tends to happen at the next MOT.

Other BMW Z4 problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the BMW Z4 have more steering problems than other cars?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years, against 3.9 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 11,911 MOT tests).

How common are BMW Z4 steering problems?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years failed on steering, against 3.9 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 11,911 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 141,225 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare