RoadVitals

2003 BMW Z3 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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 May 5, 2015
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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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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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 BMW Z3, 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

  • Engine125.0%
  • Other / unspecified125.0%
  • Steering125.0%
  • Suspension125.0%

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

2008 BMW X3. CONSUMER STATES DEFECTIVE MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS THAT HAVE FAILED RESULTING IN A STRESS FAILURE OF THE COOLING SYSTEM *TGW

NHTSA ID 10467326 · filed Jul 19, 2012

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

AS I HAVE LEARNED AS I RESEARCH WHAT I THOUGH WAS AN ISOLATED DANGEROUS STEERING ISSUE IS THAT THERE ARE MANY MANY BMW Z4 DANGEROUSLY DRIVING ON OUR PUBLIC ROADS. MY CAR STEERS IN MANY DIRECTIONS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY IN HOTTER WEATHER WHERE AS THE TEMPERATURE STARTS TO GET HOTTER IT SEEMS THAT MY NEWLY PURCHASED USED BMW Z4 LOSSES ALL POWER STEERING, ITS LIKE DRIVING A CAR THAT IS TURNED OFF FROM THE STEERING PERSPECTIVE. I LIVE IN THE DALLAS METROPLEX SO AS IT BEEN GETTING HOTTER I HAVE FOUND OUT FIRST HAND THAT THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH 100% FULL ATTENTION TO WORK THE STEERING. PLEASE HAVE BMW FACE UP TO WHAT THEY KNOW IS A SERIOUS RECALL AND A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH ON OUR HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. SINCERELY [XXX] OWNER OF A 2003 BMW Z4 WITH LESS THAN 30K MILES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID 10714743 · filed May 5, 2015

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

AS I HAVE LEARNED AS I RESEARCH WHAT I THOUGH WAS AN ISOLATED DANGEROUS STEERING ISSUE IS THAT THERE ARE MANY MANY BMW Z4 DANGEROUSLY DRIVING ON OUR PUBLIC ROADS. MY CAR STEERS IN MANY DIRECTIONS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY IN HOTTER WEATHER WHERE AS THE TEMPERATURE STARTS TO GET HOTTER IT SEEMS THAT MY NEWLY PURCHASED USED BMW Z4 LOSSES ALL POWER STEERING, ITS LIKE DRIVING A CAR THAT IS TURNED OFF FROM THE STEERING PERSPECTIVE. I LIVE IN THE DALLAS METROPLEX SO AS IT BEEN GETTING HOTTER I HAVE FOUND OUT FIRST HAND THAT THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH 100% FULL ATTENTION TO WORK THE STEERING. PLEASE HAVE BMW FACE UP TO WHAT THEY KNOW IS A SERIOUS RECALL AND A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH ON OUR HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. SINCERELY [XXX] OWNER OF A 2003 BMW Z4 WITH LESS THAN 30K MILES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID 10714743 · filed May 5, 2015

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

AS I HAVE LEARNED AS I RESEARCH WHAT I THOUGH WAS AN ISOLATED DANGEROUS STEERING ISSUE IS THAT THERE ARE MANY MANY BMW Z4 DANGEROUSLY DRIVING ON OUR PUBLIC ROADS. MY CAR STEERS IN MANY DIRECTIONS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY IN HOTTER WEATHER WHERE AS THE TEMPERATURE STARTS TO GET HOTTER IT SEEMS THAT MY NEWLY PURCHASED USED BMW Z4 LOSSES ALL POWER STEERING, ITS LIKE DRIVING A CAR THAT IS TURNED OFF FROM THE STEERING PERSPECTIVE. I LIVE IN THE DALLAS METROPLEX SO AS IT BEEN GETTING HOTTER I HAVE FOUND OUT FIRST HAND THAT THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH 100% FULL ATTENTION TO WORK THE STEERING. PLEASE HAVE BMW FACE UP TO WHAT THEY KNOW IS A SERIOUS RECALL AND A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH ON OUR HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. SINCERELY [XXX] OWNER OF A 2003 BMW Z4 WITH LESS THAN 30K MILES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID 10714743 · filed May 5, 2015

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

Data on this page last refreshed .