How many BMW Z4s are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records and 35,131 DVSA MOT tests.
Licensed in Great Britain31,948−1.7% on a year earlier
Declared SORN7,451Off the road, not taxed
MOT first-time pass rate, 202577.7%Cars of the same ages 66.2%
Rank by number licensedNo. 192of 1,159 models we cover
Peak year201633,573 licensed
Average annual mileage3,621miles a year
How many BMW Z4s are left in Great Britain?
There were 31,948 BMW Z4s licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 7,451 declared off the road (SORN).
That is 4.8% fewer than the peak of 33,573 in 2016.
In 2025, 77.7% of BMW Z4 MOT tests were passed first time,
against 72.8% for all cars.
Cars of the same ages as the BMW Z4s tested pass 66.2% of the time, so the BMW Z4 does better than average for its age, by 11.5 points. In 2024 its pass rate was 77.1%.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: BMW Z4 vs all cars
Comparing like with like: each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older average age does not count against a model.
0%
50%
100%
3 years
4–5 years
6–7 years
8–10 years
11–14 years
15–19 years
20+ years
BMW Z4
All cars
MOT first-time pass rate by vehicle age, BMW Z4 compared with all cars
Suspension is the most common reason a BMW Z4 fails its MOT,
appearing on 27.4% of failed tests. A failed test can have defects in
more than one category, so shares add up to more than 100%.
7.0% of BMW Z4 tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Most common MOT failure categories
Share of failed BMW Z4 MOT tests with at least one defect in each category
The single most common reason a BMW Z4 failed its MOT in 2025 was
“Tyres: ply or cords exposed”, on 9.4% of 7,834 failed tests.
45.6% of tests ended with at least one advisory, a problem to watch that did not fail the test; the most common was “Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge”.
The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. A test can fail for more than one.
Most common specific MOT defects on failed BMW Z4 tests, 2025
Defect
Share of failed tests
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres
9.4%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks
8.5%
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension
7.6%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility
7.4%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems
6.5%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres
6.5%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres
18 years of the BMW Z4, 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 2009 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (79.6% passed first time) and the 2021 cars worst (91.2%).
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.
BMW Z4 annual mileage
The average BMW Z4 covers 3,621 miles a year,
worked out from odometer readings at consecutive MOT tests.
Of the 32,458 BMW Z4s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 48.7% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc, and 25.1% have an engine of 2,901cc to 3,000cc. The share with an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc has grown from 34.6% in 2014 to 48.7%.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
BMW Z4s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size
Share of those licensed
1,901cc to 2,000cc 15,799 licensed
48.7%
2,901cc to 3,000cc 8,141 licensed
25.1%
2,401cc to 2,500cc 6,721 licensed
20.7%
2,101cc to 2,200cc 1,282 licensed
3.9%
3,201cc to 3,300cc 449 licensed
1.4%
Other sizes 66 licensed
0.2%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size
Fuel
Licensed
Share
1,901–2,000cc
Petrol
15,799
48.7%
2,901–3,000cc
Petrol
8,140
25.1%
2,401–2,500cc
Petrol
6,719
20.7%
2,101–2,200cc
Petrol
1,281
3.9%
3,201–3,300cc
Petrol
449
1.4%
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
BMW Z4s licensed in the UK by engine size, share of each year’s total
Year
1,901–2,000cc
2,901–3,000cc
2,401–2,500cc
2,101–2,200cc
2014
34.6%
26.0%
28.7%
7.5%
2015
37.4%
25.3%
27.3%
7.1%
2016
39.4%
24.7%
26.5%
6.7%
2017
40.0%
24.6%
26.4%
6.6%
2018
40.5%
24.4%
26.4%
6.4%
2019
42.8%
24.4%
24.8%
5.8%
2020
45.2%
23.7%
23.7%
5.5%
2021
46.2%
23.7%
23.0%
5.2%
2022
47.1%
23.9%
22.3%
4.9%
2023
47.9%
24.1%
21.8%
4.6%
2024
48.5%
24.5%
21.1%
4.3%
2025
48.7%
25.1%
20.7%
3.9%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN
excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page.
How we use engine sizes.
BMW Z4 fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the BMW Z4 from 2003, and still lists it. On the WLTP test (listings 2025 to 2026), official combined fuel economy for its petrol versions ranges from 32.4 to 39.8 mpg, with CO2 of 161 to 197 g/km. On the older NEDC test (listings 2003 to 2018), official combined fuel economy for its petrol versions ranges from 23.3 to 41.5 mpg, with CO2 of 159 to 292 g/km.
Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2025 to 2026
Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2025 to 2026
Engine and fuel
Combined mpg
CO2 g/km
Listed
Euro standard
Versions
2.0 petrol
38.6–39.8
161–164
2025–2026
Euro 6
1
3.0 petrol
32.4–35.3
180–197
2025–2026
Euro 6
2
Older NEDC figures, listed 2003 to 2018 (5 engine and fuel groups)
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2003 to 2018
Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in
real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
NEDC figures (in VCA’s data until September 2018) and WLTP figures (from the 2019 guide)
come from different tests, so they are shown separately and should not be compared.
VCA’s data has no BMW versions for 2019 to 2024, so the years listed may leave out years the BMW Z4 was on sale.
Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in
VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was
listed.
Matched from VCA’s model names “Z4 Series E89”, “Z4 Series E85/E86”, “Z4 Series E89 Roadster”, “Z4 Series E85”. How we use VCA’s figures.
BMW Z4 safety recalls
DVSA lists 14 safety recalls for the BMW Z4 since 1992, the first in 2012. The most recent was launched on 2 March 2026.
Replace the Engine Starter Motor
Launched 2 March 2026DVSA recall R/2026/054Manufacturer ref. 0012650600/0012660600/0012670600/0012680600/0012770600/0012790600
Defect
The Safety Recall relates to the engine starter motor. The fault relates to the RSW22 starter RWT (reinforced water tightness). It was found that with RWT starters an increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can cause the growth of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn may increase the relay contact resistance resulting in false starts or even causing short circuits and possibly a thermal reaction. In case of a short circuit the possibility of a thermal event cannot be excluded. This may happen while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibrations causing a short circuit due to moving deposits.
Remedy
On the affected vehicles the starter motor will be replaced with a variant by another supplier with a different design. Until the repair has been completed it is recommended to not leave the vehicle running unattended after starting the engine.
A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every BMW Z4. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or
incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a
dealer. How we match recalls to models.
Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over in 2025; retests are excluded. Age is rounded to the nearest year.
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.
