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R279 FGS

1998 BMW Z3

White Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Jan 2027
Tests31 (21 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate67.7%

Mileage

132,668 mi
Last recorded132,668 miles
Recorded on21 Jan 2026
Typical for 1998 BMW Z376,857 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR279 FGS
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourWhite
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

21 pass 10 fail
Pass 21 Jan 2026 132,668 miles
Pass 18 Nov 2024 130,813 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2023 130,589 miles
Pass 23 Nov 2022 129,972 miles
Fail 24 Oct 2022 129,834 miles

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

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

Pass 4 Nov 2021 129,094 miles
Fail 25 Oct 2021 129,084 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

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

Pass 31 Oct 2020 126,824 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Nov 2019 124,258 miles

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material before and after hose. (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 14 Nov 2019 124,237 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material before and after hose. (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 23 Nov 2018 122,992 miles

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

Pass 15 Jan 2018 121,746 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2017 120,172 miles

both rear outer sill areas and o/s/f sill area rusting

Pass 7 Jan 2016 119,198 miles

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

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

both outer sills and sill lips/floors started to rust

Pass 14 Jan 2015 114,929 miles

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

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

Fail 12 Jan 2015 114,856 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

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

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

Pass 10 Jan 2014 106,963 miles

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

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

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

Fail 10 Jan 2014 106,963 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar insecure (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 14 Jan 2013 98,711 miles

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

Fail 11 Jan 2013 98,710 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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

Offside Front Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 18 Jan 2012 92,313 miles

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

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

Fail 16 Jan 2012 92,248 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

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

Pass 19 Jan 2011 84,134 miles

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

Fail 11 Jan 2011 83,985 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Pass 8 Jan 2010 75,913 miles
Fail 16 Jan 2009 67,873 miles

Nearside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Pass 16 Jan 2009 67,873 miles

Nearside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

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

Fail 18 Jan 2008 60,078 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

Pass 18 Jan 2008 60,078 miles

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

Pass 20 Jan 2007 51,484 miles

Steering column shaft has slight end float (2.1.3)

Pass 21 Jan 2006 41,219 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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R279 FGS is a 1998 BMW Z3 in White with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.7%.

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 R279 FGS, 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 R279 FGS?

You can check the full history of R279 FGS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R279 FGS registered?

R279 FGS is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R279 FGS safe to buy?

The MOT history for R279 FGS shows 31 tests with a 67.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R279 FGS 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 R279 FGS. 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.