1998 BMW Z3 problems
NHTSA has received 45 complaints about the 1998 BMW Z3, and 18% of them involve seats. After that come electrical system (16%) and suspension (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 45 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Seats 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 54,000 miles 12 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 2 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 0 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 12 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 54,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the BMW Z3 with enough data (27 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The driver was stopped at a light when the vehicle was impacted in the front at 45 MPH. Neither of the frontal air bag deployed. The seat belt also failed to properly restrain the driver. *nlm
A fire started under the hood while driving, no indicator lights displayed and no odor of raw fuel was apparent possible engine failure, consumer is seeking monetary compensation from the manufacturer.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 BMW z3. While driving at any rate of speed, the driver's seat moves backwards and forwards without warning. The dealer is aware of the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current mileage was 82,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.
I have a 1998 z3 m roadster and the trunk welds holding the subframe is failing. This is a commonly documented issues. BMW dealers acknowledge the issue but BMW north america will not fix it. This is a welding/manufacturing defect that can lead to the differential and suspension components in the rear to completely separate.