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R159 SER

1998 BMW Z3

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Aug 2026
Tests24 (19 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate79.2%

Mileage

158,595 mi
Last recorded158,595 miles
Recorded on18 Aug 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW Z376,857 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this BMW
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR159 SER
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,793cc

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

19 pass 5 fail
Pass 18 Aug 2025 158,595 miles

Front Lower Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view several chips across the windscreen (3.2 (a) (i))

Front Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both rears on trailing arms are covered in grease (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 8 Aug 2024 158,225 miles

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Engine. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Slight lip of corrosion. (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 22 Aug 2023 156,998 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both rears corroded along bottom arm. (1.1.11 (c))

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Inner face. (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Oil leak, but not excessive Engine. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Aug 2022 156,203 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Corroded along bottom arm. (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Corroded where pipe meets flexi. (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Covered in grease along bottom arm. (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view 2 small chips in front screen. (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Aug 2021 155,690 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear , slightly corroded (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material slightly corroded where it joins flexi (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material on lower arm (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 27 Aug 2020 155,213 miles

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

Central Front Lower Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view a couple of small chips (3.2 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

steering rack damp

Fail 24 Aug 2020 155,207 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

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

Central Front Lower Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view a couple of small chips (3.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective outer ends split (3.4 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

steering rack damp

Pass 20 Aug 2019 154,349 miles
Fail 19 Aug 2019 154,331 miles

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

Pass 16 Aug 2018 153,285 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both rear (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 23 Aug 2017 153,054 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules Both rear (3.6.B.4e)

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

Pass 26 Aug 2016 152,599 miles

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

Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced Both lens covers. (1.7.5a)

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

Rear Park brake, uneven application of effort.

Pass 12 Aug 2015 152,140 miles

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

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

Offside seat runners worn

Pass 13 Sep 2013 150,996 miles

Offside Front suspension has slight play in an outer ball joint (2.5.B.2a)

slight insecurity on osf seat

Pass 17 Sep 2012 149,769 miles

Offside Front suspension has slight play in an outer ball joint (2.5.B.2a)

Pass 2 Sep 2011 147,618 miles

Application of park brake is significantly different, NS ahead of OS.

Minor play in OS steering.

Rear brake disc are corroded.

Pass 3 Sep 2010 143,915 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

air bag light on

Fail 2 Sep 2010 143,915 miles

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

air bag light on

Fail 2 Sep 2009 139,067 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 2 Sep 2009 139,067 miles

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

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

Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 3 Sep 2008 135,513 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 5 Sep 2007 130,625 miles
Fail 5 Sep 2007 130,625 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 1 Sep 2006 125,152 miles

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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R159 SER is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 79.2%.

Across all 1998 BMW Z3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 72.1% with a typical mileage of 76,857 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 R159 SER, 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 28 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 R159 SER?

You can check the full history of R159 SER by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R159 SER registered?

R159 SER is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 4 February 1998.

Is R159 SER safe to buy?

The MOT history for R159 SER shows 24 tests with a 79.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R159 SER 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 R159 SER. 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.