BMW Z3 Roadster Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 44 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the BMW Z3 Roadster (1998–2001) that have at least 5 complaints. 1998 has the most, with 19. Across all years, the part named most often is body and structure (15 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Z3 Roadster model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 8 | 65,872 | 0 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
| 2000 | 17 | 61,900 | 0 | 4 | — | Falling |
| 1998 | 19 | 72,800 | 0 | 1 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Body and structure15 33%
- Air bags9 20%
- Transmission and drivetrain7 15%
- Suspension6 13%
- Electrical system3 6.5%
- Tires2 4.3%
- Seats2 4.3%
- Seat belts2 4.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2000: “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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11383583, filed 2020-12, 127,000 miles1998: “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 complaint #10120737, filed 2005-05, 68,000 miles2001: “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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10462350, filed 2012-06, 120,000 milesOther BMW models
3,167 complaintsBMW 328I
2,577 complaintsBMW X3
2,018 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology