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R185 VJB

1998 BMW Z3

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Feb 2027
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

84,022 mi
Last recorded84,022 miles
Recorded on5 Feb 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW Z376,857 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR185 VJB
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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 5 Feb 2026 84,022 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2025 83,939 miles
Pass 1 Feb 2024 83,371 miles
Pass 5 Oct 2022 82,627 miles
Pass 4 Oct 2021 81,104 miles
Pass 21 Oct 2020 79,676 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Fail 14 Oct 2020 79,676 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Pass 8 Oct 2019 78,175 miles
Pass 22 Oct 2018 77,647 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2017 77,124 miles
Pass 19 Sep 2016 75,514 miles
Fail 19 Sep 2016 75,514 miles

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

Pass 30 Jun 2015 67,367 miles
Fail 25 Jun 2015 67,367 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Pass 22 Aug 2014 65,676 miles

brake pipe to n/s/f hose rusty

front exhaust bracket brocken

under side of vehicle very rusty

Pass 13 Sep 2013 63,555 miles

Center exhaust mount is broken,

Rear tyres are down to 3mm,

Slight play in nearside front lower ball joint,

Fail 12 Sep 2013 63,555 miles

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

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

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

Center exhaust mount is broken,

Rear tyres are down to 3mm,

Slight play in nearside front lower ball joint,

Pass 21 Aug 2012 61,303 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Sep 2011 59,198 miles

Both inner steering rack joints have slight play.

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

Pass 29 Mar 2010 55,826 miles

stonechip in windscreen

Pass 20 Mar 2009 53,899 miles

Airbag light on.

All brake disc faces poor.

Both rear flexi-pipe ferules corroding.

Front tyres perishing.

N/S/R steel brake pipe corroded.

Pass 7 Apr 2008 51,823 miles

Both front tyres perishing.

Nearside rear brake pipe corroding.

Rear brake disc faces in poor condition.

Fail 1 Apr 2008 51,823 miles

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

Both front tyres perishing.

Nearside rear brake pipe corroding.

Rear brake disc faces in poor condition.

Pass 12 Mar 2007 49,204 miles

Both rear steel brake pipes corroded.

Pass 6 Apr 2006 46,757 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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R185 VJB is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 R185 VJB, 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 R185 VJB?

You can check the full history of R185 VJB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R185 VJB registered?

R185 VJB is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R185 VJB safe to buy?

The MOT history for R185 VJB shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R185 VJB 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 R185 VJB. 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.