BMW Z4 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 26 model years and 203,952 tests, the BMW Z4 passes its MOT 82.9% of the time. Coupes & convertibles of a similar age fail 18.3% of the time, so this is 1.2pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst Z4 years
Ranked across Z4 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (94.0% pass rate); the weakest is 2005 (75.4%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (5.7%) and lighting & signalling (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, rigid brake pipes and wipers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 5,998 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.2% once past 150k — 3.6× the risk.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 23.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 18.1% in 2021 to 16.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Z4 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 16,488 | 77.5% | 22.6% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 19,881 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 13,866 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 19,331 | 79.1% | 20.8% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 19,688 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 11,465 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 14,539 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 11,530 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Tyres |
| 2011 | 11,389 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 10,982 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 9,181 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 11,062 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 9,087 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 7,022 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 823 | 87.1% | 12.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 9,014 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 5,056 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 2,396 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 1,057 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 68 | 98.5% | 1.5% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 5.7% | 11,650 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.4% | 10,955 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.1% | 10,358 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.8% | 9,818 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 6,802 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 5,325 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.4% | 2,814 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 1.3% | 2,577 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 5,998 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 5,204 |
| 3 | Wipers | 4,257 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 4,192 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 3,658 |
| 6 | Washers | 3,509 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 3,505 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 3,408 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 23.1% | 47,017 |
| 2 | Tyres | 21.1% | 42,964 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.8% | 30,131 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 7.9% | 16,122 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 12,184 |
| 6 | Other defects | 4.3% | 8,830 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 30,120 | 7.8% |
| 30-60k | 56,026 | 13.3% |
| 60-90k | 59,087 | 18.4% |
| 90-120k | 39,576 | 23.1% |
| 120-150k | 14,713 | 25.4% |
| 150k+ | 4,309 | 28.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 203,832 | 17.1% |
| Diesel | 115 | 21.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39,627 | 18.1% |
| 2022 | 40,852 | 17.1% |
| 2023 | 41,683 | 17.0% |
| 2024 | 40,967 | 16.8% |
| 2025 | 40,823 | 16.4% |
What to check before buying a BMW Z4
- Suspension (5.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (5.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.1% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW Z4?
82.9% of the 203,952 BMW Z4 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.1% fail rate, across model years 1998–2023.
What does the BMW Z4 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 5.7% of tests, then lighting & signalling (5.4%).
Which Z4 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 94.0% and 2005 the weakest at 75.4%, from 1,057 and 13,866 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Z4 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.2% for 150k+, a 20.4-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 203,952 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.