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S488 MJM

1998 BMW Z3

Silver Petrol 2793cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 May 2027
Tests23 (17 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate73.9%

Mileage

133,418 mi
Last recorded133,418 miles
Recorded on10 Apr 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

RegistrationS488 MJM
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

17 pass 6 fail
Pass 10 Apr 2026 133,418 miles

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

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

Rear Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Rear of vehicle, Differential, axle etc (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 2 May 2025 132,826 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 15 Apr 2024 130,493 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Apr 2023 127,933 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 7 Apr 2022 127,578 miles
Pass 30 Mar 2021 127,401 miles
Pass 12 Aug 2019 126,699 miles
Pass 26 Jun 2018 126,033 miles

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Fail 26 Jun 2018 126,033 miles

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 2 Apr 2015 119,859 miles

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

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

Fail 31 Mar 2015 119,850 miles

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

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

Pass 12 May 2014 117,320 miles

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

Oil leak

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Fail 12 May 2014 117,318 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 18 Apr 2013 110,576 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

exhaust brackets corroded

light stone chips in windscreen

slight movement in brake pedal

Fail 17 Apr 2013 110,576 miles

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

light stone chips in windscreen

slight movement in brake pedal

Pass 8 Mar 2012 105,249 miles
Fail 3 Mar 2012 105,249 miles

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Feb 2011 100,336 miles

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

Pass 11 Feb 2010 98,167 miles

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

Pass 28 Jan 2009 9,400 miles
Fail 23 Feb 2008 90,444 miles

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

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

osf side light dim

slight play off side steering rack

Pass 23 Feb 2008 90,444 miles

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

osf side light dim

slight play off side steering rack

Pass 25 Aug 2006 84,882 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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S488 MJM is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Silver with a 2,793cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.9%.

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 S488 MJM, 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 S488 MJM?

You can check the full history of S488 MJM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S488 MJM registered?

S488 MJM is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 11 September 1998.

Is S488 MJM safe to buy?

The MOT history for S488 MJM shows 23 tests with a 73.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S488 MJM 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 S488 MJM. 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.