2003 BMW Z4 MOT pass rate: 72.7% (7,485 tests)
Is the 2003 Z4 getting worse?
Pass rate of 2003-registered cars across recent test years:
Scroll horizontally to read every trend column.
| Test year | Pass rate | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 70.3% +5.9 vs same-age |
70.3% visual scale |
| 2024 | 73.1% +8.3 vs same-age |
73.1% visual scale |
| 2025 | 74.9% +8.7 vs same-age |
74.9% visual scale |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2003 Z4
Scroll horizontally to read every failure column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 1,380 | 24.6% |
| 2 | Suspension | 1,208 | 21.6% |
| 3 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 964 | 17.2% |
| 4 | Tyres | 619 | 11.0% |
| 5 | Visibility | 428 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 369 | 6.6% |
All Z4 years compared
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 (this page) | 7,485 | 72.7% | +7.6 pts | 96,939 |
| 2004 | 9,172 | 73.8% | +9.4 pts | 93,996 |
| 2005 | 6,205 | 70.1% | +5.5 pts | 91,692 |
| 2006 | 9,082 | 75.3% | +10.9 pts | 87,238 |
| 2007 | 9,397 | 76.8% | +11.6 pts | 84,066 |
| 2008 | 5,444 | 75.1% | +10.0 pts | 78,779 |
| 2009 | 7,368 | 83.1% | +16.7 pts | 71,830 |
| 2010 | 5,868 | 82.5% | +15.2 pts | 68,452 |
| 2011 | 5,863 | 83.8% | +14.6 pts | 62,277 |
| 2012 | 5,564 | 82.7% | +11.5 pts | 61,464 |
| 2013 | 4,688 | 82.7% | +9.4 pts | 55,792 |
| 2014 | 5,699 | 85.2% | +9.3 pts | 49,829 |
| 2015 | 4,720 | 85.9% | +7.2 pts | 44,352 |
| 2016 | 3,636 | 84.8% | +3.5 pts | 36,622 |
| 2019 | 5,982 | 90.7% | +2.3 pts | 23,453 |
| 2020 | 4,548 | 92.0% | +2.1 pts | 19,782 |
| 2021 | 2,104 | 91.8% | +1.4 pts | 19,093 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: BMW Z4 years to avoid.
- Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
FAQs
Is a 2003 BMW Z4 reliable?
2003-registered examples passed 72.7% of their MOT tests (7,485 tests, 2023–2025), +7.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 23 years old with a median 96,939 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2003 Z4?
The median tested example shows 96,939 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Before you agree to the work
A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.
- When a repair costs more than the car — what a comparable quote should include, plus any verified UK figures we have sourced.
- Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
- What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
- Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
- Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
- Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.