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R197 VRX

1998 BMW Z3

Red Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Jul 2027
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

132,471 mi
Last recorded132,471 miles
Recorded on28 Jul 2026
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

RegistrationR197 VRX
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourRed
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

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 28 Jul 2026 132,471 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material x2 (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 17 Jul 2026 132,465 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material x2 (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 12 Jul 2025 131,920 miles

Rear Exhaust mounting defective rubber mounting missing but exhaust is secure (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 10 Jun 2024 130,715 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 8 Jul 2023 128,847 miles

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated both (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

slight oil leak

Pass 14 Jun 2022 126,377 miles

exhaust has a rubber mount missing

oil leak

rear brake pads starting to wear

Pass 19 May 2021 124,163 miles

oil leak

rear brake pads starting to wear low

rear exhaust has a rattle

Pass 6 Apr 2020 121,932 miles

Nearside Front wing mirror cracked

both rear tyres starting to wear low

exhaust back box has loose baffles inside

slight oil leak (engine?)

Fail 6 Apr 2020 121,932 miles

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

Nearside Front wing mirror cracked

both rear tyres starting to wear low

exhaust back box has loose baffles inside

slight oil leak (engine?)

Pass 2 Mar 2019 120,445 miles

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

Fail 25 Feb 2019 120,439 miles

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

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

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

Pass 26 Feb 2018 117,802 miles

Both front tyres have minor tread separation

Coolant leak

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

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

Offside Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Oil leak

Pass 21 Feb 2017 115,630 miles

Both front tyres have slight tread separation

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Fail 17 Feb 2017 115,605 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Both front tyres have slight tread separation

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Pass 22 Feb 2016 113,443 miles

Nearside wiper blade poor

Pass 9 Sep 2014 108,213 miles

Centre Stop lamp has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.2.1b)

Centre exhaust bracket corroded.

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

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

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)

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

Wiper blades splitting.

Fail 9 Sep 2014 108,209 miles

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

Centre Stop lamp has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.2.1b)

Centre exhaust bracket corroded.

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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)

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

Wiper blades splitting.

Pass 30 Aug 2013 103,331 miles

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

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

Fail 29 Aug 2013 103,330 miles

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

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

Pass 14 Aug 2012 98,632 miles
Fail 13 Aug 2012 98,632 miles

Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 13 Apr 2011 91,938 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2010 87,337 miles

Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Fail 2 Apr 2009 81,342 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 2 Apr 2009 81,342 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2008 77,663 miles

slight play in rear suspenion bushes .

Pass 31 Mar 2007 75,886 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2006 74,326 miles

small chips in windscreen

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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R197 VRX is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Red with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 R197 VRX, 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 R197 VRX?

You can check the full history of R197 VRX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R197 VRX registered?

R197 VRX is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 28 April 1998.

Is R197 VRX safe to buy?

The MOT history for R197 VRX shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R197 VRX 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 R197 VRX. 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.