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P42 PLR

1997 BMW Z3

Green Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires26 Aug 2022
Tests28 (16 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate57.1%

Mileage

93,566 mi
Last recorded93,566 miles
Recorded on15 Jun 2026
Typical for 1997 BMW Z383,222 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this BMW
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP42 PLR
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1997
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,895cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

16 pass 12 fail
Fail 15 Jun 2026 93,566 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Horn sound not in accordance with requirements (7.7 (c))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

front and rear suspension very corroded but not to excess

Fail 29 Aug 2023 93,554 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 27 Aug 2021 92,897 miles

Coil spring corroded All. (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pad wear sensor not fitted.

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to rear brake pipe at rear. (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Suspension component: attachment bracket / mounting Corroded, not seriously weakened.

Nearside Rear Upper Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 18 Aug 2020 91,973 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

both rear axle mounting bushes slight deteration

Fail 6 Aug 2020 91,896 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases Rear section (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside and nearside rear axle mounting bushes slightly deteriorated

Rear axle nearside mounting bracket corroded

Suspect catalyst converter deteriorated inside (rattling )

Pass 9 Aug 2019 91,257 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Axle mounting bracket slightly corroded not seriously weakened

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 7 Aug 2019 91,250 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Suspension component attachment bracket/mounting corroded and seriously weakened Axle mounting bracket (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Axle mounting bracket slightly corroded not seriously weakened

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Jul 2018 90,414 miles
Fail 27 Jun 2018 90,403 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose excessively damaged Perished and split (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose excessively damaged Perished and split (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 11 Jul 2017 86,297 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Fail 11 Jul 2017 86,297 miles

Central Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 9 Aug 2016 82,179 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 2 Aug 2016 82,166 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 11 Aug 2015 80,294 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 4 Aug 2014 77,955 miles
Fail 4 Aug 2014 77,955 miles

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 23 Jul 2013 75,547 miles
Pass 27 Jul 2012 70,404 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

both handbrake cables slight knotting

Fail 16 Jul 2012 70,258 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

both handbrake cables slight knotting

Pass 14 Jul 2011 65,823 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

Offside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

rear discs pitted

Pass 15 Jul 2010 61,856 miles
Fail 14 Jul 2010 61,856 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Pass 21 Aug 2009 58,075 miles
Fail 20 Aug 2009 58,075 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Pass 21 Jul 2008 51,792 miles
Pass 2 Jul 2007 48,168 miles

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

some play in offside steering rack arm joint

Pass 10 Jun 2006 44,866 miles
Fail 8 Jun 2006 44,859 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

How Reliable is the BMW Z3?

Based on 498,063 MOT tests across 26,000 vehicles.

73.2%
Pass Rate
2,128
Miles/Year
29
Year Lifespan
26,000
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 17,103
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 15,600
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 10,064
position lamp(s) not working 9,305
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive 7,992
Full BMW Z3 reliability report

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P42 PLR is a 1997 BMW Z3 in Green with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.1%.

Across all 1997 BMW Z3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.6% with a typical mileage of 83,222 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a BMW Z3 fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 17,103 recorded failures. If you're considering buying P42 PLR, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The BMW Z3 typically stays on UK roads for around 29 years. At 29 years old, this BMW Z3 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of P42 PLR?

You can check the full history of P42 PLR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P42 PLR registered?

P42 PLR is a 1997 BMW Z3, first registered on 2 May 1997.

Is P42 PLR safe to buy?

The MOT history for P42 PLR shows 28 tests with a 57.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P42 PLR have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on P42 PLR. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.