Car statistics by year

2002 BMW Z3

BMW Z3 cars first registered in 2002: 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 2002, so like is set against like.

A year of the BMW Z3. “2002” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,037 MOT tests of 2002 BMW Z3 cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 73.6% All 2002 cars 59.7%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 76,500 miles; all 2002 cars 99,400
  • Left at the end of 2025 1,258 83.6% of the 1,504 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 4.7% All 2002 cars 9.0%
  • Tests with an advisory 55.7% All 2002 cars 68.6%
  • MOT tests in 2025 1,037 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2002 BMW Z3s do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 23 years old, 73.6% of 2002 BMW Z3 MOT tests were passed first time, against 59.7% for all cars first registered in 2002. 2002 BMW Z3s did better than average for their age, by 13.9 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 72.7% of the time (all 2002 cars 58.3%).

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 2002 BMW Z3

Position lamp: not working was the most common single reason a 2002 BMW Z3 failed, on 9.1% of about 300 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (38.0% of failed tests; all 2002 cars 48.3%). 4.7% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.0% for all cars first registered in 2002. 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 2002 BMW Z3 tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.1%
Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes 8.4%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 8.4%
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.3%
Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 6.9%
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes 6.6%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 6.6%
Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks 6.2%
Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension 6.2%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 5.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: BMW Z3 vs all 2002 cars

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

Share of failed 2002 BMW Z3 MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2002 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 38.0%
Brakes 33.9%
Suspension 26.3%
Visibility 20.1%
Noise, emissions and leaks 13.9%
Tyres 12.8%
Body, chassis, structure 9.5%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 8.0%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2002 BMW Z3

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 55.7% of 2002 BMW Z3 tests had at least one (all 2002 cars 68.6%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2002 BMW Z3 tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 17.3%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 11.9%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 9.7%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 9.3%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 7.3%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 6.9%
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 5.7%
Coil spring: corroded Suspension 5.2%
Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension 4.1%
Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 3.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2002 BMW Z3?

Half of the 2002 BMW Z3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 76,500 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 54,000 and a quarter more than 97,600. For all cars first registered in 2002, the middle figure was 99,400 miles, so 2002 BMW Z3s have been driven 23.0% 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, 2002 BMW Z3 and all 2002 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2002 BMW Z3 35,900 54,000 76,500 97,600 120,800 985
All 2002 cars 48,900 70,700 99,400 133,600 168,800 161,894
miles

Half of the 2002 BMW Z3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 76,500 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2002 BMW Z3s are left?

At the end of 2014, 1,504 2002 BMW Z3s were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 1,258 were: 597 licensed and 661 declared off the road (SORN). That is 83.6% still on the record, against 20.9% for all cars first registered in 2002.

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%.

2002 BMW Z3s on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2002 cars
Year end 2002 BMW Z3All 2002 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 97.1%89.1%
2016 97.5%77.6%
2017 96.4%64.4%
2018 95.9%52.9%
2019 92.9%44.1%
2020 92.5%37.9%
2021 89.8%32.3%
2022 88.8%28.7%
2023 86.9%25.9%
2024 84.7%22.9%
2025 83.6%20.9%

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 1,037 MOT tests of 2002 BMW Z3 cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 1,258 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 2002; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2002.
  • 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.