1998 BMW Z3 Roadster Owner Complaints

A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM REAR END WAS NOTICED. UPON INSPECTION, BY BMW DEALERSHIP IT WAS DETERMINED THE REAR SUBFRAME HOLDING REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE (SPOT WELD FAILURE). I WAS TOLD IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND TO FIX IMMEDIATELY. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. HIGHER DISPLACEMENT MODELS ARE A HIGHER OCCURRENCE DUE TO CREATING MORE TORQUE ON THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BRACKET. MINE IS THE M VERSION WHICH IS ALMOST A GUARANTEED FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10995656

Incident

Jun 1, 2017

Mileage

120,000 mi

THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT FILLS WITH WATER WHEN TO RAINS AND DOES NOT EMPTY. THIS PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES RUST AND MOISTURE IN THE TRUNK.

NHTSA ID

10955460

Incident

Jan 1, 1998

AT 86K MILES ON MY 1998 BMW Z3, THE THIN SHEET METAL BRACKET HOLDING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL UP IN PLACE WELDED TO THE CHASSIS SPLIT IN HALF CAUSING THE REAR END TO HANG. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED, ALSO AT 93,500 MILES, JUST 8 MONTHS LATER. THE CLUTCH IS STILL ORIGINAL AND THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED, OR RACED. I ALWAYS BABY THE CAR BECAUSE GAS IS SO EXPENSIVE, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH ALOT OF OTHER Z3'S THAT I HAVE SEEN ONLINE. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING FLAW. BMW CLAIMS THE CAR MUST HAVE HAD SOME REAR END IMPACT, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLEARLY NOT THE CASE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM REPLACE THIS PART WITH THICKER, OR STRONGER METAL AS IT CAN BE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM IF THE DIFFERENTIAL FALLS OUT AT HIGH SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10430357

Incident

Jan 5, 2011

Mileage

86,902 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW Z3M ROADSTER. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 25 MPH WHEN THE REAR FRAME OF THE VEHICLE FRACTURED COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE FRAME METAL WAS EXTREMELY WEAK AND CAUSED THE FRAME TO DROP AND THE REAR AXLE TO FRACTURE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE HE COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH IF HE WERE TRAVELING FASTER IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ID

10397393

Incident

Apr 10, 2011

Mileage

50,000 mi

1998 Z3 SUBFRAME FAILURE. I'M WORRIED MY DIFFERENTIAL OR REAR END WILL FAIL DURING DRIVING AND BMW REFUSES TO FIX IT. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROAD. BMW HAS INSPECTED MY CAR, ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, AND BLAMED THE FAILURE ON THE MODIFICATIONS I MADE TO THE CAR, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING IN A VERY HIGH NUMBER OF UN-MODIFIED Z3 VEHICLES AS WELL. THERE IS ALSO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM ON E46 MODELS (Z3 IS NOT AN E46) AND BMW IS FIXING THE E46 BUT NOT THE Z3. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED EVENTUALLY B/C OF THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10372319

Incident

Jan 1, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

NORMAL DRIVING RESULTED IN FRAME FAILURE AT THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING POINT. THE ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT BROKE LOOSE FROM THE FRAME AND THE CROSS FRAME IS BROKEN IN TWO PLACES.. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS TRUNK FLOOR PAN SPOT WELDS BREAKING LOOSE. THE PROBLEMS RESULT IN A REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY THAT IS LOOSE AND STEERS THE CAR ERRATICALLY. THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS TIME DUE TO ERRATIC HANDLING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10360392

Incident

Jan 8, 2010

Mileage

75,000 mi

Z3 SUBFRAME PROBLEM. POSSIBLE DETACHMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL FROM CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10341018

Incident

Jul 1, 2010

Mileage

90,000 mi

THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT CAME ON IN OUR 1998 BMW Z3 (WITH LESS THAN 16,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER), INDICATING THE AIRBAG (OR AIRBAGS) AND SEAT BELT TENSIONERS WERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THIS WAS "A COMMON PROBLEM" WITH THIS MODEL AND TOLD US EXACTLY WHAT MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO ANY DIAGNOSTICS'THAT THERE WAS A FAULT IN THE SEATBELT LATCH AND WIRING THAT CAUSED 'HIGH RESISTANCE'. THE COST OF REPAIRS WAS $825. A GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THIS SAME PROBLEM IS ESSENTIALLY UBIQUITOUS. I SEARCHED FOR 'BMW Z3 AIRBAG LIGHT ON', AND I GOT NEARLY 40,000 HITS. LOOKING RANDOMLY AT SOME OF THESE HITS, I FIND EACH CONTAINS MULTIPLE ACTUAL INSTANCES OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST RESULT RETURNED (HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVEFORUMS.COM/T145936-Z3_AIRBAG_SENSORS.HTML) INDICATED AT LEAST 6 VEHICLES WITH THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THUS, I WOULD ESTIMATE FROM THE GOOGLE SEARCH THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS AFFECTED 100,000+ VEHICLES JUST COUNTING THOSE POSTED ON THE INTERNET'PLUS ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE INTERNET. THE BMW Z3 WAS A LOW VOLUME VEHICLE, SO IT WOULD APPEAR THIS SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DEFECT AFFECTS A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THESE VEHICLES. ASIDE FROM THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF OWNERS REPAIRING THIS VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT, I SUSPECT MANY OWNERS SIMPLY CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY DEFECT REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO CORRECT THEIR DESIGN DEFECT AND REIMBURSE OWNERS WHO HAVE INCURRED PERHAPS $100,000,000 IN REPAIRS FOR THIS SEVERE AND DEADLY DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10336091

Incident

May 15, 2010

Mileage

15,725 mi

I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE REAR OF THE CAR, A BMW Z3 , AND I HAVE NOW FOUND THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES, THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS DAMAGED. BMW ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH SOME UNITS WHEN PRODUCED, BUT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THIS FOR ME ON WARRANTY, ITS APPAULING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10191028

Incident

May 15, 2007

THE SUBFRAME IS TEARING APART FROM THE FRAME ITSELF IN THE TRUNK. SPOT WELDS HAVE FAILED AND SEPARATION IS OBVIOUS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10163832

Incident

May 15, 2006

Mileage

83,000 mi

BOTH THE DRIVER SEAT AND PASSENGER SEAT RAILS ARE DEFECTIVE CAUSING THE SEATS TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH DURING STOPS ESPECIALLY DOWNHILL. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE DRIVER AND AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION FOR THE PASSENGER. BMW SAYS THAT IT WILL NOT PROVIDE A REPAIR AT ITS COST OR AT A REDUCED COST BECAUSE IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE EXPIRED WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT INHERENT TO THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE FOUND IT ON OTHER Z3S THAT I TEST DROVE. IT SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT COST BY BMW. *NM

NHTSA ID

10138337

Incident

Sep 27, 2005

Mileage

53,059 mi

DT: 1998 BMW Z3 ROADSTER - THERE WAS A SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS. WHILE DRIVING ON A DRY ROUGH ROAD THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CONSUMER DID NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH ANYTHING, AND WAS DRIVING ONLY ABOUT 5 MPH WHEN THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAY THAT AN IMPACT WITH A POT HOLE CAUSED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. CONSUMER CLAIMED HE DID NOT HIT A POT HOLE HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE THIS DEPLOYMENT. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT CHECK THE SENSORS TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS. THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE AIR BAG DEFECT ON THIS MODEL. HOWEVER THERE WAS A RECALL ON AIR BAGS IN OTHER BMW MODELS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10135003

Incident

Aug 27, 2005

I HEARD A CREAKING FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR, I PUT IT ON JACKS TO CHECK IT OUT. TO MY SURPRISE I FOUND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FLOOR PAN MAINLY AROUND THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT. THE CAR IS CLAIMED TO BE UNDRIVABLE BY BMW, BUT YET THEY WILL NOT TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MATTER. I SEE IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IF I DID NOT CHECK IT AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CRACKS AND TEARS IN THE BODY METAL THAT EXIST COULD HAVE CONTINUED EVEN FURTHER AND LED TO AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE. I WAS ESTIMATED AT A WHOPPING 5200 DOLLARS WHICH BMW SAID THEY WOULD ONLY PAY 3000 OF. I BELIEVE IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, SO IT SHOULD BE PAID IN FULLY BY THE COMPANY, BUT THEY WILL NOT STAND UP THE THEIR FAULT. I HAVE AT THIS TIME NO CHOICE BUT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT STATE, I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO DOESNT HAVE THE LARGEST INCOME AROUND SO PICKING 2000 OR MORE DOLLARS OUT OF NOWHERE IS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE. AND I STILL HAVE TO GO TO WORK FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME I AM HOME, AND SO WITHOUT A LOANER FROM BMW OR THEM TAKING FULL BLAME AND PAYING IN FULL I AM FORCED TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR, FOR HOWEVER LONG. I HOPE THIS SITUATION CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF AS THERE ARE CASES OF SIMILAR SUBFRAME PROBLEMS POPPING UP ALL OVER FORUMS ONLINE. ENTHUSIASTS OF THE Z3 WILL RECOGNIZE THIS ISSUE IF THEY TEDIOUSLY AND CAREFULLY INSPECT THEIR CARS, HOWEVER THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO JUST BUYS THEIR CAR AND DRIVES IT AROUND HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA OF THE PROBLEM AT HAND AND THE POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE THAT IT MAY LEAD UP TO IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

10133488

Incident

Aug 18, 2005

Mileage

72,800 mi

THE SEAM ON THE GAS TANK OF MY BMW Z3 HAS A DEFECT. IT HAS ONLY 86,000 MILES ON IT, HAS NEVER BEEN IN A SALT OR CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED. IT HAS APPARENTLY BEEN LEAKING GAS FOR QUITE A WHILE. WITH THE LOW FLASHPOINT OF GAS AND THE PROPENSITY FOR INJURY IF THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT I AM OUTRAGED. I WANT TO PURSUE THIS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT.

NHTSA ID

10120737

Incident

May 11, 2005

Mileage

68,000 mi

ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN REAR OF CAR SLID LEFT DURING TURN WHILE DRIVING AT 30-40 MPH. AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL (ATC) DID NOT ENGAGE AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO, ALLOWING SLIDE TO CONTINUE. DRIVER PROPERLY CORRECTED STEERING. CAR OVERCORRECTED WITH THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDING TO THE RIGHT. DRIVER PROPERLY CORRECTED AGAIN, BUT REAR OF CAR SLID AGAIN TO THE LEFT. DRIVER COULD NOT CORRECT IN TIME TO PREVENT SPIN, LEADING TO IMPACT WITH CONCRETE WALL. ATC IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO THIS TYPE OF POSITION BUT DID NOT. DRIVER INJURED. CAR DAMAGED, WITH FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION IN DISARRAY. *AK

NHTSA ID

10103979

Incident

Dec 7, 2004

Mileage

37,000 mi

DRIVER SEAT RAIL IS DEFECTIVE AND IT MOVES BACK AND FORTH AS YOU STOP OR ACCELERATE POSING A DRIVER CONTROL SAFEY HAZARD. BMW WILL NOT FIX AT THEIR COST AND SAYS IT IS A CONSUMER REQUEST REPAIR. I DISAGREE THAT SEAT STRUCTURE FAILURE IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10095697

Incident

Aug 8, 2003

Mileage

25,401 mi

1998 BMW Z3, 1.9. SRS (AIRBAG LIGHT) CONSTANTLY COMING ON EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT! I HAD IT FIXED 3 TIMES ALREADY AT THE DEALERSHIP SUPPOSEDLY UNDER WARANTY BUT STILL COSTING ME ATLEAST 100 DOLLARS R "DIAGNOSTIC FEES". IT CAME ON AGAIN AND I GIVE UP.ITS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW. WHY BOTHER GETTING IT FIXED IF IT WILL JUST COME ON AGAIN! I AM GOING TO TRY BUYING THE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL MYSELF AND SEEING IF I CAN HANDLE IT MYSELF. *AK

NHTSA ID

10061993

Incident

Jul 26, 2001

NEGATIVE CAMBER CAUSED INCREASE WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF THE REAR TIRES, WHICH CAUSED 6 TIRE BLOW OUTS. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID

8016925

Incident

Oct 4, 2000

WHILE DRIVING, NEGATIVE CAMBER CAUSED TREAD TO WEAR DOWN ON REAR TIRES. *AK THIS CAUSED ABNORMAL WEAR ON THE REAR TIRES AND HAD A POTENTIAL OF LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JG *JB

NHTSA ID

8016924

Incident

Oct 4, 2000