1998 BMW Z3 Roadster Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 37%of 19 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 75,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the body and structure of the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster, 37% of the 19 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 75,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10372319, filed 2010-12, 90,000 miles“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 #10133488, filed 2005-08, 72,800 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10191028, filed 2007-05“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 complaint #10397393, filed 2011-04, 50,000 milesBody and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8 | 47% |
| 1998 | 7 | 37% |
Other parts of the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster
3 complaintsSeats
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology