MOT cost .
BMW Z4
MOT 2023
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BMW

Z4

41,916 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Z4s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 3.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

79.6%

Pass-after-fix

2.9%

Fail

16.9%

Avg miles

69,693

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Z4: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 41,916 MOT tests, the Z4 returns 79.6% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A corroded brake pipe and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 69,693, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    966 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  2. 02

    Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

    904 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  3. 03

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    886 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  4. 04

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    844 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  5. 05

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    791 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  6. 06

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    776 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  7. 07

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    735 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  8. 08

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    590 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  9. 09

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    582 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  10. 10

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    555 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£118–£300

If every one of this Z4's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Z4?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Z4 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.