1999 BMW Z3 problems
NHTSA has received 56 complaints about the 1999 BMW Z3, and 23% of them involve body & structure. After that come air bags (18%) and drivetrain & axles (16%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 56 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Body & structure 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 88,000 miles 40 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 | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 0 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 15 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 12 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 40 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 88,000 miles. For body & structure specifically, the median reported mileage is about 88,000 miles (12 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1999 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the BMW Z3 with enough data (20 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
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.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 70 MPH during clear conditions, the front driver side air bag deployed without warning or impact to the vehicle. There was no debris or potholes present. The contact suffered cuts, bruising and scaring to the left arm. The contact drove to the hospital. The service dealer and manufacturer were notified and photos were taken of the vehicle and injuries. Updated 11/16/2006 -the gas gauge and odometer were inoperative. The dealer replaced the instrument cluster.
1999 z3 m coupe differential mount trunk floor support failure. I took in my car for my 90 thousand mile service and was informed by the shop ([link removed] located in glendale, ca. That my subfloor was cracked and unless I fixed it my car would be useless, and not drivable. I had to spend over $2,800 to fix my car which is very disappointing especially since this is a weekend car now and when you pay $46,000 for a BMW you do not expect the frame to fail....
I noticed a squeaking noise coming from the back of my 1999 BMW z3 coupe. When I had it checked I found it was a small crack where the subframe had been factory reinforced. The reinforcements were failing in the back of the car near the trunk flooring and the swaybar. The mechanic stated it would cost $6500 to replace the cracking frame, or I could go to another shop and have it spot welded to reinforce and stop the crack from getting larger.