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S51 VAO

1998 BMW Z3

Red Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires22 May 2026
Tests21 (15 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

97,934 mi
Last recorded97,934 miles
Recorded on23 May 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

RegistrationS51 VAO
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year1998
ColourRed
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

15 pass 6 fail
Pass 23 May 2025 97,934 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material on bottom suspension arm (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material on bottom suspension arm (1.1.11 (c))

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

Fail 23 May 2025 97,934 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material on bottom suspension arm (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material on bottom suspension arm (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 21 May 2024 96,920 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 18 Apr 2023 96,762 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 18 Apr 2023 96,762 miles

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

Nearside Front Windscreen washer not working jet cleaned (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 6 Dec 2021 96,219 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Jun 2021 96,210 miles

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

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

Fail 26 Apr 2021 96,208 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 16 Jul 2019 95,549 miles
Fail 6 Jul 2019 95,548 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault (7.12 (e))

Pass 27 Jun 2015 94,313 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 25 Jun 2014 92,091 miles

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)

Pass 28 Jun 2013 90,369 miles

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 27 Jun 2012 87,774 miles

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

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

Pass 29 Jun 2011 85,320 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2010 80,790 miles

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

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

Fail 24 Jun 2010 80,790 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

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

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

Pass 31 Jul 2008 79,782 miles
Pass 2 Aug 2007 77,356 miles
Fail 31 Jul 2007 77,316 miles

Nearside Rear coil spring cracked (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 31 Jul 2006 73,462 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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S51 VAO is a 1998 BMW Z3 in Red with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 S51 VAO, 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 S51 VAO?

You can check the full history of S51 VAO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S51 VAO registered?

S51 VAO is a 1998 BMW Z3, first registered on 1 August 1998.

Is S51 VAO safe to buy?

The MOT history for S51 VAO shows 21 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S51 VAO 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 S51 VAO. 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.