Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 BMW M Roadster, most frequently naming the engine, driver assistance and other / unspecified categories. 7 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2002 | 1 | 1 |
| May 2004 | 1 | 2 |
| Oct 2004 | 1 | 3 |
| May 2011 | 1 | 4 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
GAS PEDAL BROKE AND JAMMED. COULD NOT STOP CAR, ENGINE BEGAN REVVING AT HIGH RPM. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND PULLED ONTO SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE. GAS PEDAL BROKE AT THE BASE. UPDATED 05/12/11 *BF
THE BMW THAT I DRIVE IS SUBJECT TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 125 REPORTED AND DOCUMENTED CASES OF THE ENGINE FAILING AT AN ENGINE RPM THAT IS WELL WITHIN THE TOLERANCES OF THE VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS. *AK THESE FAILURES HAVE RESULTED IN ENGINE LOCK UPS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. BMW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE IN THE S54 ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE MAJORITY OF THE VEHICLES IN THE M CLASS, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE IGNORED THOSE OF US DRIVING THE M ROADSTER, STILL DRIVEN BY THE SAME ENGINE. PLEASE ADVISE.
I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE BMW S54 ENGINES THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED IN THE BMW M ROADSTERS. I AM AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE LETTERS MAILED, E-MAILS SENT AND EVEN AN INTERNET SITE ESTABLISHED ALL PERTAINING TO THE PROBLEMATIC S54 ENGINE.*AK A WHILE BACK, BMW ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR ALL OF THE M3 VEHICLES THAT ARE POWERED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED S54 ENGINE, HOWEVER, THEY WENT ON TO EXCLUDE THE M ROADSTER AND THE M COUPE WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT "IMPACTED" BY THIS PROBLEMATIC AND UNSAFE ISSUE. WELL, AS TIME GOES ON, THERE HAVE NOW BEEN SEVERL DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS SPECIFICALY INVOLVING THE VEHICLES THAT BMW STATED WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THIS PROBLEM. I OWN AN M ROADSTER AND THE THOUGHT OF THE ENGINE "BLOWING UP" WHILE I AM DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN LETTERS SENT TO NHTSA REGARDING THIS ISSUE BUT IT APPEARS AS THOUGH NHTSA HAS NOT CHALLENGED BMW TO ELIMINATE THIS UNSAVE CONDITION FROM OUR ROADS. CAN YOU PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL WITH YOUR OFFICIAL POSITION ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER? TONY
CONSUMER STATED THAT ENGINE STALLS AFTER BEING WARM OR HOT ON INITIAL START UP, AND ENGINE GOES TO LOW RPM (50) OR STALLS OUT COMPLETELY. AFTER RESTARTING ENGINE WILL RUN CORRECTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENT IN TRAFFIC. *YD
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material-
SERVICE BRAKES
BMW: RUNNING NOISES HEARD WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, WITH HIGH BRAKE LOADS; THROUGH WHEEL OPENING, VISIBLE CRACKS CAN BE SEEN IN BRAKE DISCS AND STEERING WHEEL TORSIONAL VIBRATES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. *PE
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *RM
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
BMW VEHICLES: FUEL LEVEL SENSOR REPAIRS. WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT SIDE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR DUE TO A FAILURE, THE ENTIRE PUMP AND HOUSING OR DELIVERY UNIT (SUCTION JET ASSEMBLY) DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. IN SOME CASES, EPC DOES NOT SHOW THAT THE REPAIR KIT IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY IN THE ILLUSTRATION, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PARTS DESCRIPTION. ALL MODELS. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BREMI IGNITION COIL REPLACEMENT ON S54 ENGINE. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN SUPERSEDES SI120803 DATED MAY 2004. *EH *SC
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE OIL VISCOSITY CHANGE. *JG
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.