Skip to content
BMW Z4Model year report

2004 BMW Z4 Problems

Complaints
411filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
47,000miles, 372 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 2.5L 6-cyl RWD · 18 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 BMW Z4 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Nearly all complaints for this model year concern steering: owners describe the wheel sticking, binding or feeling notchy, most often in warm weather or after the car sits in the sun, and several say dealers attributed it to the steering column and quoted multi-thousand-dollar replacements. The rest of the sample is thin — isolated reports of body-control-module failures affecting wipers, windows, locks and lights, a few airbag reports, and occasional electrical warning-light complaints.

  1. Steering

    Sticky, notchy or binding steering in warm weather

    • 291 complaints (71%)
    • median 46,516 mi at 8.0 yrs old (266 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $3,400 (median of 30 quotes)
    • filed 2005–2025

    Owners describe the steering wheel sticking or binding in position, so that small corrections need a firm shove and then overcorrect. Many say it appears once ambient or cabin temperature climbs (commonly quoted above roughly 70-80F) or after the car has been parked in direct sun, and returns to normal when the car cools. Several report the dealer either could not duplicate the symptom or recommended replacing the steering column, with quoted costs in the range of several thousand dollars; others say they were told the behavior was normal. Reported from as little as 8,000 miles up to about 160,000, most often between roughly 20,000 and 90,000 miles, and typically in warm weather or after heat soak.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Drive the car on a warm day or after it has sat in the sun, at highway speed, and feel for binding or a notch as you make small corrections. Ask whether the steering column has ever been replaced, and ask for any related repair paperwork.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “After driving my Z4 on a hot afternoon I notice the steering feeling very notchy. You had to put in a lot of force to get the wheel back to where you wanted it. The next morning it was fine. But I have notice any time the cabin temp gets above 88 the problem comes back. It produces a real jerky feeling in the wheel and its very unnerving to drive.”

    NHTSA complaint #10607107, filed 2014-06, 44,000 miles

    “When I am driving at any speed, my steering wheel does not feel as though it is moving smoothly, as I would expect from a precision-engineered Bmw. In fact, it sticks to the point that it will not move unless it is jerked forcefully to the left or right. This jerking is not a big problem when I am driving at 20 to 30 miles per hour. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10597483, filed 2014-06, 35,000 miles
  2. Electrical system

    Body module failure: wipers, windows, locks, lights

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe a group of accessories failing together — windshield wipers, power windows, remote and central locking, trunk release, interior and cluster lighting, and sometimes the convertible top. Some report the faults come and go, worsen with temperature swings, and clear temporarily after the battery is disconnected and reconnected; owners and shops point to the body control module. Reported mostly between about 40,000 and 145,000 miles, described as intermittent and sometimes recurring weekly.

    5 related service bulletins

    What to check: With the car running, test every window, the wipers, both remote keys, the trunk release and the interior lights, and ask whether the body module or the battery has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I had this car built and I am the only owner and driver. I have had a personal mechanic take meticulous care of it over the years and the car is stored for approximately 6 months/year because I do not drive it in the snow, and frankly, hardly drive it even when raining. However, it never fails that each year some warning light goes on for no apparent reason. Last fall it was the ABS light and the brake light. My mechanic put the car on the computer, and found no issues. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11323610, filed 2020-05, 64,043 miles

    “Gm5 module fail. When the gm5 module fauls windshield wipers won't work (this could be a big problem if it rains!), interior lights won't work, windows won't go up or down, no alarm functions and of course no automatic door lock control (doors can manually be locked and unlocked as long as the double lock is open.)”

    NHTSA complaint #11195746, filed 2019-04, 135,850 miles

Buying note. Prioritise a warm-weather test drive and a steering-column history on any 2004 Z4, since steering complaints dominate this year, and budget for a possible column replacement if none has been done. Also verify that electrical accessories and warning lamps behave correctly, especially on a cold start, and confirm the fuel-pump recall was completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 411 consumer complaints for the 2004 BMW Z4. 372 of the complaints include a mileage, and 53% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 47,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 39 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Other or unknown (1), Seats (1), Suspension (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “Power steering is intermittent. Almost never works when first started but after driving for 20-30 minutes, if I turn the car off and back on again, it works and the dash light goes out. I can even do it while driving, shifting to neutral, turn car off and then back on and the power steering comes back on. Very frustrating to drive like this ... And dangerous too!”

NHTSA complaint #11298946, filed 2020-01, 130,000 miles

Air bags: “My passenger-side airbag literally exploded as I was walking up to my car this morning. Of course, I didn't realize that was what it was until I unlocked my car and opened the door. The airbag was exposed and there was smoke in the car. It appears what happened is the exact reason given for recalling the 3 series vehicles due to the takata airbag problem, the reason given are incidents such as this occur in florida and puerto rico due to the high heat and humidity. …”

NHTSA complaint #10615403, filed 2014-07, 97,684 miles

Electrical system: “I left my Bmw in the sun all day and now my locks wont work. Many resources link this problem to the gm5 which controls the lighting and locks. Bad locks can be a safety and security issue on parked cars but also for moving cars as children may open vehicle doors in traffic.”

NHTSA complaint #10743567, filed 2015-07, 56,000 miles

Exterior lighting: “Reoccuring issue: -door locks not functioning by remote or central button -wipers not functioning -trunk release not functioning by remote or button -windows not functioning -lighting of interior not working, to include gauge cluster -top not functioning issues intensify on days of low/higher temperatures. Seems to reset by disconnecting battery and reconnecting after several minutes. Issues points to gm5 module being faulty/failing this is not discovered until you start the car, seems to be a random occurrence, but happens at least once weekly. Sometimes it is multiple times a day.”

NHTSA complaint #11341390, filed 2020-07, 145,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

53% of the 372 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 30,000 and 67,000 miles.

5%0–1014%10–2535%25–5028%50–7511%75–1007%100–1501%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (372 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 47,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’04’07’1074’13’16’19’22’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 BMW Z4. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Z4 · coupe not rated4 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2004 BMW Z4 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Z4 Roadster RWD2.5L 6-cyl5-speed manual182621$3,900
Z4 Roadster RWD2.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic182621$3,900
Z4 Roadster RWD2.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182721$3,900
Z4 Roadster RWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed manual182721$3,900
Z4 Roadster RWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182721$3,900
Z4 Roadster RWD3.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic172520$4,100

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2004 BMW Z4 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 39 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 39 bulletins →

Other model years of the BMW Z4

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202053,0006—27—Not enough data
201952006—28—Not enough data
2015511,2121—26—Not enough data
2014726,0003—21—Not enough data
2013738,6503—21—Not enough data
2012565,9004—21—Not enough data
20114636,0006—21Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
2010108,0665—22—Not enough data
20092217,5004—22—Falling
20081960,0002—21—Falling
20073347,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20069154,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200519146,5000—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200441147,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200341441,5754—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All BMW Z4 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 BMW Z4?

Nearly all complaints for this model year concern steering: owners describe the wheel sticking, binding or feeling notchy, most often in warm weather or after the car sits in the sun, and several say dealers attributed it to the steering column and quoted multi-thousand-dollar replacements. The issues reported most often: Sticky, notchy or binding steering in warm weather; Body module failure: wipers, windows, locks, lights.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 BMW Z4 have?

NHTSA recorded 411 consumer complaints for the 2004 BMW Z4 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 BMW Z4 is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 378 complaints (92% of the total), followed by air bags with 18.

Has the 2004 BMW Z4 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 BMW Z4 get?

The EPA rates the 2004 BMW Z4 (Z4 Roadster, 2.5L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 BMW Z4 reported?

Among the 372 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 47,000 miles and the middle half falls between 30,000 and 67,000 miles; 53% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.