IllustrationTHE SUB FRAME IS SEPARATING. ALL THE SPOT WELDS ALONG THE EDGES OF THE SUBFRAME ARE COMING APART. THERE IS A CRACK IN THE SUBFRAME DUE TO FLEXING.*AK
2000 BMW Z3 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 Z3 Roadster years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 13 of 17 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.
- Structure. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
17 reportsTHE SRS AIR BAG WARNING KEEPS COMING ON. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT THE BMW PLANT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. A TECHNICIAN FROM THE FACTORY INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM, REPORTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THAT IT WAS JUST A MALFUNCTION. HE RESET THE SRS AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT. THE NEXT DAY IT CA…
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THE SRS AIR BAG WARNING KEEPS COMING ON. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT THE BMW PLANT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. A TECHNICIAN FROM THE FACTORY INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM, REPORTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THAT IT WAS JUST A MALFUNCTION. HE RESET THE SRS AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT. THE NEXT DAY IT CAME ON AGAIN. THE DEALER CAN REST IT AGAIN, BUT IT JUST KEEPS HAPPENING. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG MAY NOT OPERATE DURING AN ACCIDENT.*AK
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MANUFACTURER DESIGN OF CONVERTIBLE TOP WINDOW. PUTTING THE TOP DOWN CAUSES DEEP SCRATCHES AND IMPAIRS SIGHT OF WINDOW WHEN THE TOP IS UP. *AK
REAR DIFFERENTIAL SHEET METAL MOUNTING BRACKET TORE LOOSE FROM FLOOR PAN, FOR THE SECOND TIME. FIRST TIME AT 70000 MILES, SECOND TIME AT 90000 MILES. THIN SHEET METAL BRACKETS AND CROSS MEMBER DO NOT APPEAR ADEQUATE. ALSO WELDED SEAMS COMING APART ON FLOOR OF TRUNK ABOVE DIFFERENTIAL. *JB
BMW SAW PROBLEM AT THE BMW Z-3 HOMECOMING. SAID IF IT WAS NOT THE COMPUTER CAUSING THE DOOR LOCKS TRAPPING PASSENGERS INSIDE THIS CAR, IT WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS. COMPUTER CHANGED AND THE DOOR LOCKS TRAPPED CONSUMER INSIDE THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS BEGINNING ON THE N.J. TURN PIKE HEADED TO NOVA SCOTIA. THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT…
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BMW SAW PROBLEM AT THE BMW Z-3 HOMECOMING. SAID IF IT WAS NOT THE COMPUTER CAUSING THE DOOR LOCKS TRAPPING PASSENGERS INSIDE THIS CAR, IT WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS. COMPUTER CHANGED AND THE DOOR LOCKS TRAPPED CONSUMER INSIDE THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS BEGINNING ON THE N.J. TURN PIKE HEADED TO NOVA SCOTIA. THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR WHEN THE DOOR LOCKS SHORTENED OUT IS TO EITHER PUT DOWN THE ROOF AND WINDOWS AND CLIMB OUT OF THE CAR OR ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND REACH ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR AND UNLOCK IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. A NOVA SCOTIA BMW DEALER SAID LOCKS WERE GOING INTO THE DOUBLE LOCKING POSITION WHICH SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN FROM LOCKING THIS CAR FROM THE INSIDE. ONLY FROM THE OUT SIDE. I HAVE WRITTEN DOZENS OF LETTERS TO BMW CONCERNING THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BUT NO PARTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED SINCE OCTOBER 2000. THE DOOR LOCKS TRAPPED ME INSIDE THIS CAR TWO WEEKS AGO IN AUGUSTA GEORGIA AND AGAIN IN BRUNSWICK GEORGIA THIS PAST WEEKEND. I ALSO HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS OF A LEAKING ROOF, A RATTLING DASHBOARD, RADIO CUTTING IN AND OUT IN THE LEFT CHANNEL AND A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS. I ASKED OVER 2 YEARS AGO FOR THIS 2000 BMW Z-3 TO BE REPLACED, BUT BMW REFUSED. IT HAS BEEN IN BMW SHOPS OVER 7 TIMES FOR OVER A MONTH AND THE PROBLEMS ARE STILL THERE.*AK *TT
BMW HAS FAILED TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT DEFECTS ON THIS CAR. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ARE FROZEN AND CANNOT BE USED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ON THE Z3 ROADSTER, BUT ARE TRYING TO BRUSH US OFF. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE SURE WE CAN USE THE SEAT BELTS …
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BMW HAS FAILED TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT DEFECTS ON THIS CAR. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ARE FROZEN AND CANNOT BE USED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ON THE Z3 ROADSTER, BUT ARE TRYING TO BRUSH US OFF. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE SURE WE CAN USE THE SEAT BELTS WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR. IN ADDITION, THE ENTIRE SEAT SYSTEM IN THIS CAR IS LOUSEY, AND REQUIRED US TO HAVE THE DRIVER SEAT BACK BRACKET REPALCED ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASSIONS.
CAR HAD 11 MILES WHEN PRUCHASED, AT 14 MILES THE DSC FAILED, IT TOOK THE DEALER 30 DAYS TO FIX, THE TOP RIPPED APART, THE DEALER REAPLACED THE SOFT TOP BUT DAMAGED THE HEADLINER AND THE DASH BOARD. THE SOFT TOP NO LONGER CLOSES PROPERLY.
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.