BMW Z4 MOT failure rate and common faults
29,855 BMW Z4 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 20.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 33.8% of the time, which makes the BMW Z4 38% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
20.8%
failed first time
29,855 MOT tests in 2025
-38%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 33.8%
9 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
99.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 120.0
What fails on a BMW Z4 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common BMW Z4 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 28.1 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 18.9 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 18.8 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.5 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 18.3 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 17.3 |
| Road Wheels: fractured | Wheels | 16.5 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 14.6 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 11.5 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 11.4 |
BMW Z4 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 936 | 7.7% | 11.4% | 17,500 |
| 2021 | 1,072 | 8.8% | 12.8% | 23,900 |
| 2020 | 1,528 | 9.5% | 14.1% | 27,400 |
| 2019 | 2,014 | 11.2% | 16.5% | 31,000 |
| 2016 | 1,230 | 17.5% | 25.1% | 44,100 |
| 2015 | 1,587 | 18.1% | 28.1% | 50,800 |
| 2014 | 1,916 | 18.0% | 31.4% | 55,900 |
| 2013 | 1,575 | 19.8% | 34.3% | 61,500 |
| 2012 | 1,833 | 20.0% | 36.6% | 66,200 |
| 2011 | 1,965 | 18.8% | 38.8% | 68,300 |
| 2010 | 1,956 | 19.9% | 40.7% | 73,800 |
| 2009 | 2,426 | 20.4% | 41.8% | 76,700 |
| 2008 | 1,749 | 30.3% | 42.9% | 81,400 |
| 2007 | 3,099 | 26.9% | 42.7% | 87,800 |
| 2006 | 2,876 | 28.8% | 43.0% | 89,700 |
| 2005 | 1,948 | 35.4% | 42.4% | 93,800 |
Advisories to look for in a BMW Z4's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the BMW Z4, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge226.8
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened115.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing111.2
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material90.6
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive65.2
- Brake pads: wearing thin51.8
Checking a used BMW Z4 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the BMW Z4 fails more often than average on wheels. Start there.
Wheels
Look for damaged rims, missing wheel nuts and cracked alloys, particularly on the inside edge where kerb damage hides.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
BMW Z4 MOT questions
What is the BMW Z4 MOT failure rate?
20.8% of BMW Z4 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 29,855 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 33.8% of the time, so the BMW Z4 was 38% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a BMW Z4 MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 84 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has ply or cords exposed", recorded 28.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which BMW Z4 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2011 registrations did best: 18.8% failed against an average of 38.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular BMW Z4 will pass?
No. These are averages across every BMW Z4 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other BMW models
- BMW 3 Series23.5% failed
- BMW 1 Series24.0% failed
- BMW 5 Series19.6% failed
- BMW 2 Series16.5% failed
- BMW X117.6% failed
- BMW 4 Series16.6% failed
Ranked close to the BMW Z4
- Lexus CTrank 6
- Honda HR-Vrank 7
- Jaguar I-Pacerank 8
- Audi Q2rank 10
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many BMW Z4 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.