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S229 ORU

1998 BMW Z3

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Sep 2026
Tests20 (14 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

86,410 mi
Last recorded86,410 miles
Recorded on4 Sep 2025
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

RegistrationS229 ORU
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

14 pass 6 fail
Pass 4 Sep 2025 86,410 miles

Offside Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

drivers seat forward and back adjustment slight play

Pass 12 Sep 2024 85,917 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear differential mounting bush worn but not excessive

Fail 28 Jul 2022 85,900 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Rear differential bush excessively deteriorated

Pass 10 Aug 2021 85,291 miles

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

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 13 Aug 2020 85,026 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Aug 2019 82,893 miles

Nearside Front slight pay at wheel

Nearside Rear Inner wheel rim damaged

Nearside Rear slight play

Fail 6 Aug 2019 82,887 miles

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

Nearside Front slight pay at wheel

Nearside Rear Inner wheel rim damaged

Nearside Rear slight play

Pass 17 Jul 2018 81,612 miles

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 16 Jul 2018 81,611 miles

Passenger's airbag missing (7.1.5 (a))

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 19 Jul 2017 77,986 miles

FRONT BUMPER IS DAMAGED

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin WORN VERY THIN (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin WORN VERY THIN (3.5.1g)

Pass 8 Aug 2014 77,106 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

nearside rear wheel noisey on rotation

steerin g noisey on rotation

Fail 4 Aug 2014 77,100 miles

Centre Stop lamp has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.2.1b)

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 Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

nearside rear wheel noisey on rotation

steerin g noisey on rotation

Pass 31 Mar 2011 54,127 miles
Pass 5 Dec 2009 67,772 miles
Pass 28 Oct 2008 61,603 miles

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

washer jets weak and have poor aim

wiper blades spliting

Pass 30 Oct 2007 48,830 miles

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

Fail 25 Oct 2007 48,564 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 Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 23 Jul 2007 48,300 miles
Fail 16 Jul 2007 48,169 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)

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

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

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front position lamp(s) missing (1.1.A.3a)

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Rear registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

air bag light on

Pass 10 Jul 2006 45,184 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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S229 ORU is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

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 S229 ORU, 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 S229 ORU?

You can check the full history of S229 ORU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S229 ORU registered?

S229 ORU is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is S229 ORU safe to buy?

The MOT history for S229 ORU shows 20 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S229 ORU 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 S229 ORU. 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.