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R20 MGW

1998 BMW Z3

Red Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Mar 2027
Tests18 (13 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate72.2%

Mileage

85,914 mi
Last recorded85,914 miles
Recorded on26 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW Z376,857 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR20 MGW
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourRed
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

13 pass 5 fail
Pass 26 Mar 2026 85,914 miles

All brake and suspension components corroded

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule All (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Play in Offside inner steering joint

Fail 10 Mar 2026 85,908 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Rear fog lamp switch inoperative (4.5.3 (a))

All brake and suspension components under car corroded

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule All front and rear (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Offside Front Play in inner steering rack joint

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Pass 27 Nov 2020 81,886 miles

Nearside hand brake effort low

Fail 18 Nov 2020 81,886 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

Stop lamp(s) with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning high level (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Central Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside hand brake effort low

Pass 7 Jul 2017 80,138 miles

both front suspension struts weeping oil

Pass 28 Sep 2015 76,792 miles
Pass 22 Jul 2014 75,176 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

near side rear tyre has flat spot on inside edge also bald in this area advise tyre replaced asap

Fail 4 Jul 2014 74,799 miles

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

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Rear registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

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

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

Nearside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

offside rear tyre out of shape

Pass 15 Jul 2013 73,937 miles

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

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

Pass 13 Jul 2012 71,961 miles
Fail 11 Jul 2012 71,961 miles

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

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

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

offside front inner track rod arm has slight movement

Pass 4 Jul 2011 70,252 miles

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

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

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

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

Pass 25 May 2010 66,498 miles

Rear o/s wheel rim inner edge slightly damaged

Slight free play in both front lower ball joint assy

brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 21 May 2010 66,493 miles

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

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Rear o/s wheel rim inner edge slightly damaged

Slight free play in both front lower ball joint assy

brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 19 May 2009 62,334 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2008 59,175 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2007 54,125 miles
Pass 24 Jul 2006 44,728 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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R20 MGW is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Red with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.2%.

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 R20 MGW, 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 R20 MGW?

You can check the full history of R20 MGW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R20 MGW registered?

R20 MGW is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 2 January 1998.

Is R20 MGW safe to buy?

The MOT history for R20 MGW shows 18 tests with a 72.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R20 MGW 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 R20 MGW. 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.