GAS PEDAL BROKE AND JAMMED. COULD NOT STOP CAR, ENGINE BEGAN REVVING AT HIGH RPM. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND PULLED ONTO SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE. GAS PEDAL BROKE AT THE BASE. UPDATED 05/12/11 *BF
2001 BMW M Roadster
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all M Roadster years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 4 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Equipment Adaptive/mobility. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
4 reportsTHE BMW THAT I DRIVE IS SUBJECT TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 125 REPORTED AND DOCUMENTED CASES OF THE ENGINE FAILING AT AN ENGINE RPM THAT IS WELL WITHIN THE TOLERANCES OF THE VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS. *AK THESE FAILURES HAVE RESULTED IN ENGINE LOCK UPS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. BMW H…
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THE BMW THAT I DRIVE IS SUBJECT TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 125 REPORTED AND DOCUMENTED CASES OF THE ENGINE FAILING AT AN ENGINE RPM THAT IS WELL WITHIN THE TOLERANCES OF THE VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS. *AK THESE FAILURES HAVE RESULTED IN ENGINE LOCK UPS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. BMW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE IN THE S54 ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE MAJORITY OF THE VEHICLES IN THE M CLASS, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE IGNORED THOSE OF US DRIVING THE M ROADSTER, STILL DRIVEN BY THE SAME ENGINE. PLEASE ADVISE.
I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE BMW S54 ENGINES THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED IN THE BMW M ROADSTERS. I AM AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE LETTERS MAILED, E-MAILS SENT AND EVEN AN INTERNET SITE ESTABLISHED ALL PERTAINING TO THE PROBLEMATIC S54 ENGINE.*AK A WHILE BACK, BMW ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR ALL OF THE M3…
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I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE BMW S54 ENGINES THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED IN THE BMW M ROADSTERS. I AM AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE LETTERS MAILED, E-MAILS SENT AND EVEN AN INTERNET SITE ESTABLISHED ALL PERTAINING TO THE PROBLEMATIC S54 ENGINE.*AK A WHILE BACK, BMW ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR ALL OF THE M3 VEHICLES THAT ARE POWERED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED S54 ENGINE, HOWEVER, THEY WENT ON TO EXCLUDE THE M ROADSTER AND THE M COUPE WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT "IMPACTED" BY THIS PROBLEMATIC AND UNSAFE ISSUE. WELL, AS TIME GOES ON, THERE HAVE NOW BEEN SEVERL DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS SPECIFICALY INVOLVING THE VEHICLES THAT BMW STATED WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THIS PROBLEM. I OWN AN M ROADSTER AND THE THOUGHT OF THE ENGINE "BLOWING UP" WHILE I AM DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN LETTERS SENT TO NHTSA REGARDING THIS ISSUE BUT IT APPEARS AS THOUGH NHTSA HAS NOT CHALLENGED BMW TO ELIMINATE THIS UNSAVE CONDITION FROM OUR ROADS. CAN YOU PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL WITH YOUR OFFICIAL POSITION ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER? TONY
CONSUMER STATED THAT ENGINE STALLS AFTER BEING WARM OR HOT ON INITIAL START UP, AND ENGINE GOES TO LOW RPM (50) OR STALLS OUT COMPLETELY. AFTER RESTARTING ENGINE WILL RUN CORRECTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENT IN TRAFFIC. *YD …
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CONSUMER STATED THAT ENGINE STALLS AFTER BEING WARM OR HOT ON INITIAL START UP, AND ENGINE GOES TO LOW RPM (50) OR STALLS OUT COMPLETELY. AFTER RESTARTING ENGINE WILL RUN CORRECTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENT IN TRAFFIC. *YD
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration