2001 BMW Z3 Roadster Owner Complaints

I AM DRIVING AS NORMAL AND THEN THE CAR BEGINS TO HAVE PROBLEMS SHIFTING AND THE TRANSMISSION INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON. THE OWNERS MANUAL TELL YOU TO PULL OVER AND SHIFT THE CAR INTO PARK AND THEN APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON. IT SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT IT STILL OCCURS ON DAYS WHEN THE AIR TEMP. IS HIGH. I HAVE HAD THE CAR ON THE DIAGNOSTIC A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH NO CURE. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THE TRANSMISSION OR ECU. BUT THIS COULD BE A MAJOR PROBLEM AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN CITY TRAFFIC IF THE CAR STALLS OR LOCKS UP BMW 2001 Z3 2.5I (STEPTRONIC SHIFTING) *JS

NHTSA ID

10462350

Incident

Jun 19, 2012

Mileage

120,000 mi

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS AUTO. I NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ON DECELERATION. UPON INSPECTING THE CAR, I FOUND THAT THE REAR SUB FRAME WAS ALMOST BROKER IN HALF. THIS IS THE PART THE HOLDS THE ENTIRE REAR SUSPENSION FOR THE CAR. FROM RESEARCH I'M FINDING OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH Z-3 BMW'S IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FLAW IN THEIR ENGINEERING. I WAS VERY SHOCKED TO SEE THE DAMAGE AND THAT IF I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR, VERY SHORTLY THE PART WOULD HAVE FAILED, WIPING OUT THE WHOLE REAR SUSPENSION. I AM AMAZED THAT THIS WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM OR THAT I WAS NOT EVEN NOTIFIED THAT THIS WAS A POTENTIAL ISSUE SO THAT I COULD MONITOR THIS AND CATCH IT BEFORE A MAJOR FAILURE. *TT

NHTSA ID

10459349

Incident

May 19, 2012

Mileage

78,500 mi

2001 BMW Z3 3.0L. THE ABS/DSC SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARYING SPEEDS THE BRAKES ENGAGE ON THEIR OWN, CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO APPLY AND PULL THE CAR TO THE RIGHT. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS SINCE IT COULD CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL. THE ACTIVATION OF THE BRAKES HAPPENS WHILE DRIVER'S FOOT IS ON ACCELERATOR, NO WHERE NEAR THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER THIS OCCURS THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS DISPLAY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS DISAPPEARS WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON, HOWEVER, THE CONDITION HAPPENS AGAIN. THERE IS NO ROAD ISSUES THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS. IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT OR ON A CURVE. THERE IS NO REASON FOR IT TO HAPPEN. IT IS DANGEROUS! *TR

NHTSA ID

10358612

Incident

May 15, 2009

Mileage

101,000 mi

I OWN A 2001 BMW Z3 3.0I ROADSTER THAT SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED ITS DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AIRBAG WHEN I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION IN THE DRIVEWAY, RESULTING IN A LARGE BRUISE AND BURN ON MY LEFT ARM. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON A FEW DAYS EARLIER, BUT THE OWNER'S MANUAL DID NOT INDICATE ANY HAZARD OF SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT, AND I HAD NOT YET GOTTEN THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED IN ANY WAY AND IS OTHERWISE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE CAR REMAINS IN MY DRIVEWAY AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN, EXAMINED, DIAGNOSED, OR REPAIRED SINCE THE MALFUNCTION. I HAVE CALLED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS REGARDING THE MATTER. THEY SEEMED RATHER UNCONCERNED. I TOLD THEM IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO SUE, AND LIKEWISE I WILL NOT LET THEM COVER UP THIS PROBLEM. RATHER, I WANT THEIR ENGINEERS TO TEST-BENCH MY CAR TO PINPOINT THE SOURCE OF THE MALFUNCTION AND TO ISSUE A RECALL IF APPROPRIATE. I FURTHER EXPECT THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM, REPLACING ALL SUSPECT PARTS, AT NO COST TO ME. THEY SAID THEY WILL PASS ALONG MY CONCERNS TO THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE IN NEW JERSEY AND THAT I WILL RECEIVE A CALL BY NEXT TUESDAY. I'M NOT IMPRESSED WITH THEIR LEVEL OF CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239274

Incident

Aug 20, 2008

Mileage

68,000 mi

AFTER LEAVING MY VEHICLE OVERNIGHT, I STARTED MY VEHICLE WITH AN AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I PROCEEDED TO LET MY VEHICLE WARM WHILE I CLEANED OFF THE SNOW. I THEN GOT INTO MY VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE TO MY DESTINATION. WHILE DRIVING I BEGAN TO LOOSE ENGINE POWER, AND MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I PARKED MY CAR. I SHUT MY CAR DOWN AND AFTER TRYING TO RESTART MY CAR IT WOULD NOT START. UPON HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER THE FAILED PART IS A CRANKCASE VENT VALVE. THE PART IS KNOWN TO FAIL IN COLD WEATHER. AND I HAVE TO HAVE OTHER PARTS REPLACED SUCH AS DIPSTICK, SPARK PLUGS, AND SEALS DUE TO THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THIS PART. *JB

NHTSA ID

10182940

Incident

Feb 16, 2007

Mileage

63,745 mi

ON JUNE 3,2005, I HAD NEW BRAKES & TIRES PUT ON MY 2001 Z-3 BMW ROADSTER BY HENDRICKS BMW OF HICKORY,NC. ON JULY 8,2005 WHILE DECENDING MOUNTAIN RD IN CHEROKEE,NC, MY CLUTCH LOCKED-UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO HENDRICK'S WHERE THEY CLAIM I NEEDED A NEW CLUTCH FOR $875.00. THERE IS ONLY 35,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND I FEEL THE BMW CENTER DIDN'T CHECK THE BRAKE FLUID WHEN MY BRAKES WERE REPLACED AND THAT CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO LOCK-UP. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INVESTIGATE IF ANY OTHER Z3 OWNERS HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR CLUTCH BEFORE 36,000 MILES AS I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE GOING DOWN HILL LAST FRIDAY.

NHTSA ID

10128530

Incident

Jul 8, 2005

Mileage

35,009 mi

VEHICLE DROVE OVER A LARGE CHUNK OF CONCRETE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN THE SIDE AIR BAG ON PASSENGER'S SIDE DEPLOYED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10056139

Mileage

18,500 mi

I HAVE A 2003 BMW Z4 WITH SEQUENTIAL MANUAL GEARBOX. THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE. THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR AUTOMATICALLY WHEN STOPPING BUT THEN IT SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT TOUCHING THE SHIFT KNOB AND IT DOES SO WHENEVER IT DECIDES TO DO IT. THIS IS A SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY AND BMW STATES THERE IS NO RECALLS ON IT OR SERVICE BULLETINS. I KNOW OF AT LEAST FIVE OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS WELL FROM A WEBSITE ROADFLY.ORG. PLEASE CHECK THIS SIT FOR MORE INFO UNDER SMG PROBLEMS. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10036629

Incident

Aug 26, 2003

Mileage

1,050 mi