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Y281 FAU

2001 BMW Z3

Blue Petrol 1895cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Aug 2027
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

108,871 mi
Last recorded108,871 miles
Recorded on6 Aug 2026
Typical for 2001 BMW Z365,589 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationY281 FAU
MakeBMW
ModelZ3
Year2001
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 6 Aug 2026 108,871 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

underbody corrosion

Pass 14 Aug 2025 106,405 miles

"Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

all 4 tyers Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure

all suspension slightly corroded

Fail 6 Aug 2025 106,380 miles

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

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

all suspension slightly corroded

all tyres perished

Pass 30 May 2024 102,425 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2021 100,533 miles
Fail 13 Apr 2021 100,533 miles

Bonnet primary retaining device ineffective (3.1 (c))

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Pass 19 Mar 2020 100,069 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

all suspension slightly corroded

all tyres slightly perished

Pass 20 Mar 2019 96,155 miles
Fail 19 Mar 2019 96,155 miles

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Pass 4 Jan 2018 94,331 miles
Fail 4 Jan 2018 94,331 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 6 Jan 2017 92,297 miles

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

Fail 6 Jan 2017 92,297 miles

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

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

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

Pass 7 Jan 2016 90,692 miles

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

Pass 8 Jan 2015 89,220 miles
Fail 3 Apr 2013 85,521 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

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

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

Oil leak

Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

advise floating style baal joints fitted

advise sill covers fitted

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 3 Apr 2013 85,521 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

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

Oil leak

Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

advise floating style baal joints fitted

advise sill covers fitted

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 28 Mar 2012 73,150 miles
Pass 28 Mar 2011 58,356 miles

emlight on

rear discs pitted/rusty

rear indicators white

Fail 2 Mar 2010 55,777 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the left. (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

both rear tyres are worn very low / on the 1.6 mm legal limit

front brake pads are worn very low , slight wear on the brake discs

Pass 2 Mar 2010 55,777 miles

both rear tyres are worn very low / on the 1.6 mm legal limit

front brake pads are worn very low , slight wear on the brake discs

Pass 24 Sep 2008 49,960 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2007 42,372 miles
Fail 2 Oct 2007 42,372 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Pass 28 Sep 2006 33,344 miles
Fail 27 Sep 2006 33,344 miles

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) flickers when tapped lightly by hand (1.1.4c)

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

Pass 5 Oct 2005 24,640 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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Y281 FAU is a 2001 BMW Z3 in Blue with a 1,895cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 2001 BMW Z3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.8% with a typical mileage of 65,589 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 Y281 FAU, 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 25 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 Y281 FAU?

You can check the full history of Y281 FAU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was Y281 FAU registered?

Y281 FAU is a 2001 BMW Z3, first registered on 2 March 2001.

Is Y281 FAU safe to buy?

The MOT history for Y281 FAU shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does Y281 FAU 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 Y281 FAU. 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.