2001 BMW M Roadster Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2001 BMW M Roadster, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine360.0%
- Driver assistance120.0%
- Other / unspecified120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .