2006 BMW Z4 Electrical Problems

I have just found out that my 2006 BMW Z4 Convertible has serious wiring issues. The wires for example on my front headlights the insulation is falling off the and leaving bare wires. I am very concerned this could be a fire safety issue that could result in bare electrical wires shorting together and starting a car fire. My research shows that many people who have 2006 BMW Z4 Convertibles are having this same issue. This seems to be a real issue with BMW using cheap wiring harnesses material and over time due heat and cooling is cause the insulation to fail and resulting in this issue.

NHTSA ID

11542405

Incident

Sep 3, 2023

WENT TO CHANGE MY HEADLIGHT BULB AND NOTICES ALL OF THE WIRES WERE BARE. THE SHEATHING AROUND THE WIRES HAVE ALL CORRODED. THIS IS FOR THE COMPLETE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. EVERY SINGLE WIRE HAS CORRODED. SEEMS LIKE A FIRE HAZARD.

NHTSA ID

11308882

Incident

Feb 6, 2020

Mileage

104,000 mi

THE INSULATED WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING HAS HARDENED AND THE INSULATION HAD CRACKED AND FALLEN OFF. THIS ALLOWS THE WIRES TO SHORT AND CAUSES UNEXPECTED FAILURE OF THE HEADLIGHTS, PARKING LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND OTHER ITEMS INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING. THE LIGHTS FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY AND INTERMITTENTLY.

NHTSA ID

11267326

Incident

Jul 21, 2019

Mileage

95,000 mi

MY BATTERY IS IN GOOD CONDITION BUT I CAN'T START THE ENGINE.-700KM OIL SERVICE WARNING LIGHT DISPLAY ON MY DASH.FUEL PUMP IS WORKING.THEM OPEN THE KEY LIKE THAT SOUND GAP GAP IS COME OUT...PLS HELP ME...

NHTSA ID

11230059

Incident

Jul 5, 2019

Mileage

15 mi

MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 65K MILES ON IT WHEN THE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATED AN ISSUE. IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 08/06. READING FROM THE COMPUTER INDICATED A PASSENGER OCCUPANCY MAT FAILURE. BMW EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS THROUGH MODEL YEAR 05 BUT WON'T DO ANYTHING FOR 2006. I CALLED BMW USA AND ESCALATED IT. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND STATED IT WILL NOT BE COVERED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY PREVENT THE AIRBAG FROM OPERATING IN CASE OF A COLLISION FOR THE PASSENGER. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2006 MODEL OCCUPANCY MAT WITH THIS MY AND I THINK BMW SHOULD BE FORCED TO COVER THIS SAFETY HAZARD. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM BMW DEALER AS A PRE-OWNED CERTIFIED CAR UNDER FULL WARRANTY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT ADDRESS REPAIRS UNDER THE CURRENT RECALLS. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED THE SAME WAY AS PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR Z4 VEHICLES. ACCORDING TO RECALL 13V-564 THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BUT BMW SAYS NO! HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/OWNERS/SEARCHRESULTS?REFURL=EMAIL&SEARCHTYPE=ID&TARGETCATEGORY=R&SEARCHCRITERIA.NHTSA_IDS=13V564

NHTSA ID

10875931

Incident

Feb 3, 2016

Mileage

65,000 mi

SPRING IN STEERING WHEEL THAT IS PART OF AIR BAG CAUSES WARNING LIGHT. LESS THAN 50 K MILES ELECTRICAL ISSUES. HAVE HAD 2 REPLACE THE BATTERIES TWICE IN 5 YEARS. HAVING TO REPLACE THE BLOWER MOTOR TWICE, AND THE CONSOLE CONTROLS FOR AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER. LASTLY, WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM AND YOU COME TO A STOP LIGHT, THE ENGINE SURGES DRASTICALLY. BMW SERVICE CLAIMS THAT IT IS NORMAL. AND

NHTSA ID

10870114

Incident

May 20, 2016

Mileage

60,000 mi

CHANGING A HEADLIGHT BULB ON DRIVERS SIDE NOTICED FLAKING INSULATION ON WIRING HARNESS. IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING HEADLAMP, INSULATION ON ALL THE WIRING ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THIS SAME CONDITION EXISTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS WOULD SEEM TO PRESENT A FIRE HAZARD AT WORST AND A LOSS OF LIGHTING AT THE LEAST. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING VARIOUS FORUMS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM ACROSS MANY BMW MODELS. FURTHER, IT APPEARS THAT BMW USED A SOY BASED INSULATION PRODUCT ON THESE WIRES. ISN'T SOY BIODEGRADABLE? WHY WOULD THIS BE USED IN A WIRING HARNESS.

NHTSA ID

10781296

Incident

Oct 6, 2015

Mileage

20,000 mi

THE BATTERY ON THE VEHICLE WAS DEAD AND REPLACED. AFTER THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE IS IN "TRANSPORTATION MODE". UNDER THIS MODE, THE AC, FAN AND REAR DEFROSTER DO NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE NEED TO BE RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO REINITIALIZE THE SOFTWARE TO REMOVE THE TRANSPORTATION MODE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10649755

Incident

Aug 15, 2014

Mileage

59,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT USED THE KEYLESS ENTRY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ID

10559723

Incident

Oct 7, 2013

Mileage

75,000 mi

ON MY 2006 BMW Z4 3.0I, WHILE REPLACING A BLOWN HEADLIGHT BULB I DISCOVERED THAT THE INSULATION ON THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WIRING WAS CRUMBLING OFF AND IN PARTS HAD BARE COPPER WIRE SHOWING. AS THIS IS THE MAIN HEADLIGHT WIRING AND BOTH THE + AND - WIRES WERE SHOWING BARE COPPER A SHORT CIRCUIT AND OR FIRE COULD BE POSSIBLE. THIS WIRING IS WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING IT'S SELF. UPON DOING RESEARCH ONLINE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON AFFECTED. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER WHO SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS AT THIS TIME AND I COULD CALL BMW NA. I CALLED BMW NA WHO REPEATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND SAID THEY WOULD MAKE A NOTE OF IT BUT OFFERED NO OTHER HELP. *JS

NHTSA ID

10545520

Incident

Sep 24, 2013

Mileage

60,050 mi

ALL SERVICE AND REPAIRS OF THIS CPO PERFORMED BY DEALERSHIP. FIRE CAUSED TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION MELTING INTERIOR AND NEARLY BURNING DRIVER-DAMAGE MOST SEVERE ON DRIVER'S SIDE OF VEHICLE AND EXTENDS TO THE CAR EXTERIOR. FIRE STARTED WHILE VEHICLE MOVING ON HEAVILY USED PUBLIC ROAD SHORTLY AFTER WARNING SYMBOL FOR BLINKERS ACTIVATED AND BLINKERS ON PASSENGER SIDE INCREASED IN SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10493375

Incident

Dec 29, 2012

Mileage

30,638 mi

THE STEERING WHEEL INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS UP AT HIGHER SPEEDS (50-70 MPH). USUALLY THE ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 85 DEGREES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10466331

Incident

Jul 17, 2012

Mileage

69,000 mi

PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATION LIGHT ALWAYS ON (SINCE 20,000 MILES APPROX) TOGETHER WITH DASHBOARD AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. GARAGE DIAGNOSED FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT PRESSURE MAT AND ADVISED PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. BMW NORWELL MA, WHO SOLD THE CAR TO US, STATED NO RECALL ON 2006 MODEL (CONVERSATION WITH THEIR SERVICE DEPT. OF 10/21/2011) ALTHOUGH ALL Z4S UP TO 2005 WERE RECALLED FOR MAT REPLACEMENT. BMW WERE CLEARLY STILL FITTING DEFECTIVE PRESSURE MATS IN THE 2006 MODELS AND WOULD APPEAR TO BE NOT ONLY JEOPARDIZING OUR SAFETY BUT ALSO AVOIDING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10432453

Incident

Sep 3, 2007