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R986 FWS

1998 BMW Z3

Blue Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 May 2027
Tests26 (21 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80.8%

Mileage

60,167 mi
Last recorded60,167 miles
Recorded on18 May 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

RegistrationR986 FWS
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourBlue
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 5 fail
Pass 18 May 2026 60,167 miles
Fail 11 May 2026 60,165 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 manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 9 Apr 2025 58,338 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2024 57,519 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive engine oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Central Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Obligatory mirror slightly loose (3.3 (b) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Jul 2023 57,262 miles

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Obligatory mirror slightly loose (3.3 (b) (i))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 7 Jul 2022 57,006 miles

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive Slight engine oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive slight gearbox oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 9 Jul 2021 56,246 miles

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 9 Jul 2021 56,241 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 20 Jul 2020 55,692 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage 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 (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 9 Jul 2019 55,040 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage 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 (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 2 Jul 2018 53,586 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive sump gasket weeping slightly (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front wishbone rear bush has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front tyre valve cracking

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

Offside Rear tyre valve cracking

Pass 22 Jul 2017 52,390 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre cracking

Offside Front drivers seat having slight play in base mechanism.

Fail 10 Jul 2017 52,352 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre cracking

Offside Front drivers seat having slight play in base mechanism.

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

Pass 14 Jul 2016 50,846 miles
Pass 13 Jun 2015 46,102 miles

Centre Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

advise n/s/r tyre 1602 2002 starting to perish.

Pass 27 May 2014 44,692 miles

slight movement within seat rails

Fail 21 May 2014 44,692 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

slight movement within seat rails

Pass 20 May 2013 43,828 miles

o/s/r tyre splitting

Pass 29 May 2012 42,657 miles
Pass 7 Jun 2011 41,312 miles
Fail 18 Jun 2010 39,233 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Jun 2010 39,233 miles
Pass 26 Jun 2009 36,714 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2008 33,953 miles
Pass 13 Mar 2007 33,627 miles

movement in both offside and nearside lower ball joint casings

slight play in steering rack offside front

Pass 1 Feb 2006 32,646 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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R986 FWS is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Blue with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80.8%.

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 R986 FWS, 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 R986 FWS?

You can check the full history of R986 FWS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R986 FWS registered?

R986 FWS is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 23 January 1998.

Is R986 FWS safe to buy?

The MOT history for R986 FWS shows 26 tests with a 80.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R986 FWS 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 R986 FWS. 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.