Car statistics by year

2001 BMW Z3

BMW Z3 cars first registered in 2001: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2001, so like is set against like.

A year of the BMW Z3. “2001” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,736 MOT tests of 2001 BMW Z3 cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 71.7% All 2001 cars 61.5%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 78,600 miles; all 2001 cars 96,400
  • Left at the end of 2025 2,246 82.3% of the 2,729 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 4.8% All 2001 cars 8.3%
  • Tests with an advisory 57.1% All 2001 cars 66.9%
  • MOT tests in 2025 1,736 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2001 BMW Z3s do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 24 years old, 71.7% of 2001 BMW Z3 MOT tests were passed first time, against 61.5% for all cars first registered in 2001. 2001 BMW Z3s did better than average for their age, by 10.2 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 67.6% of the time (all 2001 cars 59.7%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: BMW Z3 vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each BMW Z3 bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, BMW Z3 compared with all cars
First registered BMW Z3All cars
’97 66.6%68.5%
’98 70.0%67.1%
’99 70.2%65.4%
’00 70.2%63.1%
’01 71.7%61.5%
’02 73.6%59.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2001 BMW Z3

Position lamp: not working was the most common single reason a 2001 BMW Z3 failed, on 13.0% of about 500 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (45.1% of failed tests; all 2001 cars 45.5%). 4.8% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 8.3% for all cars first registered in 2001. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2001 BMW Z3 tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.0%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 11.6%
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault Brakes 8.5%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 8.3%
Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks 7.9%
Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes 7.7%
Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.7%
Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension 7.7%
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.3%
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension 6.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: BMW Z3 vs all 2001 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2001 BMW Z3 MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2001 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 45.1%
Brakes 32.9%
Suspension 27.2%
Visibility 22.4%
Noise, emissions and leaks 19.1%
Tyres 13.0%
Body, chassis, structure 11.6%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 11.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2001 BMW Z3

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 57.1% of 2001 BMW Z3 tests had at least one (all 2001 cars 66.9%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2001 BMW Z3 tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 18.7%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 14.7%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 10.0%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 9.2%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 8.5%
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 7.1%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 5.3%
Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 4.8%
Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension 4.4%
Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 4.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2001 BMW Z3?

Half of the 2001 BMW Z3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 78,600 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 57,200 and a quarter more than 101,400. For all cars first registered in 2001, the middle figure was 96,400 miles, so 2001 BMW Z3s have been driven 18.5% less far than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2001 BMW Z3 and all 2001 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2001 BMW Z3 38,300 57,200 78,600 101,400 122,900 1,653
All 2001 cars 47,100 68,200 96,400 129,900 164,900 105,773
miles

Half of the 2001 BMW Z3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 78,600 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2001 BMW Z3s are left?

At the end of 2014, 2,729 2001 BMW Z3s were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 2,246 were: 1,022 licensed and 1,224 declared off the road (SORN). That is 82.3% still on the record, against 20.3% for all cars first registered in 2001.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2001 BMW Z3s on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2001 cars
Year end 2001 BMW Z3All 2001 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 98.9%85.8%
2016 97.4%72.2%
2017 96.2%58.3%
2018 93.7%47.5%
2019 91.4%39.6%
2020 90.0%34.3%
2021 89.0%29.7%
2022 86.7%26.7%
2023 85.0%24.5%
2024 83.0%21.9%
2025 82.3%20.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Other years of the BMW Z3

6 years of the BMW Z3, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2002 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (73.6% passed first time) and the 1997 cars worst (66.6%).

BMW Z3s by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
1997 2,530 66.6% 68.5%
1998 3,003 70.0% 67.1%
1999 3,308 70.2% 65.4%
2000 2,271 70.2% 63.1%
2001 2,246 71.7% 61.5%
2002 1,258 73.6% 59.7%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 1,736 MOT tests of 2001 BMW Z3 cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 2,246 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of BMW Z3 cars first registered in 2001; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2001.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.