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R165 MFM

1998 BMW Z3

Black Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires6 May 2025
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

110,691 mi
Last recorded110,691 miles
Recorded on6 May 2025
Typical for 1998 BMW Z376,857 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR165 MFM
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourBlack
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

17 pass 8 fail
Fail 6 May 2025 110,691 miles

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

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Obligatory mirror missing (3.3 (a))

Fuel tank straps corroded

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Rear Diff mounts worn

Underbody corroded

Pass 7 May 2024 108,756 miles
Pass 9 Jul 2022 107,347 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Rear pipes all have corrosion (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly damaged (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 25 Jun 2022 107,277 miles

Offside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Rear fog lamp switch inoperative (4.5.3 (a))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Brake pipes have slight corrosion at rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly damaged (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 14 Apr 2021 106,127 miles

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

chip in windscreen

corrosion to both front floor pans around jacking mounts

Pass 15 May 2019 104,655 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2017 102,795 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded Both front to rear at rear (3.6.B.2c)

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

Corrosion around nearside front jacking point

Part of centre stop lamp not working

Fail 22 May 2017 102,777 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded Outer sill (2.4.A.3)

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Brake pipe slightly corroded Both front to rear at rear (3.6.B.2c)

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

Corrosion around nearside front jacking point

Part of centre stop lamp not working

Pass 21 Apr 2016 100,820 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2015 100,602 miles

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Fail 30 Mar 2015 100,602 miles

Offside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 7 Jul 2014 99,408 miles

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

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

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

Pass 1 Jul 2013 98,531 miles

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

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

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

Pass 7 Jul 2012 97,155 miles

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

Fail 2 Jul 2012 97,155 miles

Nearside rear brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.5b)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 1 Jul 2011 91,017 miles

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

Fail 25 Jun 2011 91,017 miles

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

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

Pass 20 Jul 2010 90,326 miles

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

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 4 Aug 2009 82,844 miles

both front tyres very close to legal limit

both rear metal brake pipes in poor surface condition

rear exhaust corroded

small chip in zone b of screen

Pass 17 Oct 2008 75,826 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 28 Sep 2007 67,567 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2007 67,566 miles

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

Pass 24 Oct 2006 61,359 miles

Steering column flexible coupling has slight play (2.1.5)

Fail 24 Oct 2006 61,359 miles

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

Steering column flexible coupling has slight play (2.1.5)

Pass 16 Jul 2005 48,684 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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R165 MFM is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Black with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

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 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 R165 MFM, 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 R165 MFM?

You can check the full history of R165 MFM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R165 MFM registered?

R165 MFM is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 15 April 1998.

Is R165 MFM safe to buy?

The MOT history for R165 MFM shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R165 MFM 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 R165 MFM. 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.