RoadVitals

2002 BMW M Roadster

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Nov 15, 2012
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 BMW M Roadster, most frequently naming the body & structure, powertrain (other) and other / unspecified categories. 6 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure240.0%
  • Powertrain (other)240.0%
  • 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.

Safety recalls

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Body & structure
Filed Nov 15, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW M ROADSTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, A SQUEAKY NOISE WAS HEARD FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SUB FRAME EXHIBITED SEVERAL CRACKS AND WAS SLIGHTLY SEPARATED. THE DEFECT BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

NHTSA ID
10484839
Incident
Nov 10, 2011
Mileage
67,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 29, 2006

REAR DIFFERENTIAL SIMPLY DROPPED WHILE DRIVING. IT AND THE SUBFRAME HAVE TORN UP REAR SHEET METAL UNDER THE TRUNK. I HAVE A REPAIR IN PROGRESS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10148924
Incident
Jan 25, 2006
Mileage
21,280 mi
Body & structure
Filed Oct 28, 2005

2002 BMW M ROADSTER TRUNK CROSSMEMBER (SUPPORTS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL) SEPARATING FROM THE REST OF THE CAR. SPOT WELDS PULLED OUT. DANGER OF THE WHOLE CROSSMEMBER SEPARATING FROM THE CHASSIS. CORRECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT IN TOLEDO, OH. CROSSMEMBER REINFORCED BY AN INTERNAL I-BEAM, WELDED TO NEW CUSTOM-FABRICATED SUPPORTS ON THE LONGITUDINAL RAILS. THE OEM CROSSMEMBER IS NOW MERELY COSMETIC. DIFFERENTIAL COVER REPLACED BY ONE WITH A PAIR OF MOUNTS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE TO DISTRIBUTE LOAD. VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 25,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. JB

NHTSA ID
10141099
Incident
Oct 1, 2004
Mileage
18,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 19, 2005

THE REAR-SUBFRAME IS SEPARATING FROM THE TRUNK IN MY CAR. AS A RESULT, THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT HAS CRACKED AND THERE IS THE RISK OF THE DIFFERENTIAL TOTALLY SEPARATING FROM THE CAR.

NHTSA ID
10133487
Incident
Aug 1, 2005
Mileage
45,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Dec 11, 2002

SPEEDOMETER ON NEW VEHICLE READS EXCESSIVLY HIGH (7 MPH AT 65 MPH). THERE WAS NOSPECIFIC INCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY STANDARDS REGARDING THIS, AS MANUFACTURER SAYS THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE ERROR. DATE BELOW IS ENTERED FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

NHTSA ID
10000019
Incident
Dec 11, 2002

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

B340714

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material-

SIB-34-04-14

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

SIB-63-02-01

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *RM

SIB-16-02-09

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

120204

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BREMI IGNITION COIL REPLACEMENT ON S54 ENGINE. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN SUPERSEDES SI120803 DATED MAY 2004. *EH *SC

651101

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

BMW IS CONDUCTING A SERVICE ACTION TO INSTALL THE MISSING CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. *TT

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW M Roadster by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2008100—
2007000—
2006000—
2002Viewing500—
2001400—
2000190033.9
1999180027.8
1998190035.5

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.