IllustrationSEATS MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATES OR DECELERATES, ITS A KNOWN ISSUE OF DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT SHOULD NOT FALL ON THE CONSUMER FOR REPAIR
1998 BMW Z3
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 BMW Z3 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 30.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Z3 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: 9 of 30 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.
- Seats. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports2 fire reports1 injury reports
Seats complaints
8 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW Z3. DURING ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEAT ADJUSTOR RAIL FAILED. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE SEAT MOVED BACK AND FORTH WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE CURREN…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW Z3. DURING ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEAT ADJUSTOR RAIL FAILED. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE SEAT MOVED BACK AND FORTH WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 11/09/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED BMW KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND THERFORE, THEY CHANGED MATERIAL USED IN THE ISOLATER PADS. UPDATED 11/09/09
MARCH 2007 DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND UPON STOPPING AT RED LIGHT SEAT JOLTS FORWARD CAUSING FOOT TO SLIP OFF OF BRAKE AND NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANTLY NOW ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT OF 1998 BMW Z-3. UPON TAKING CAR TO SHOP AFTER SHOP AND DEALER I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $470.00 A SEAT TO FIX. I WAS ALSO T…
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MARCH 2007 DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND UPON STOPPING AT RED LIGHT SEAT JOLTS FORWARD CAUSING FOOT TO SLIP OFF OF BRAKE AND NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANTLY NOW ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT OF 1998 BMW Z-3. UPON TAKING CAR TO SHOP AFTER SHOP AND DEALER I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $470.00 A SEAT TO FIX. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS PART WAS DETERMINED DEFECTIVE BY BMW AND CHANGED IN THE NEXT MODEL AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THESE PARTS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED TO SAVE THE PUBLIC FROM USELESS AND AVOIDABLE ACCIDENTS. *TR
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.
WHILE BRAKING AND SPEEDING THE DRIVER'S SEAT LURCHED FORWARD/BACKWARDS ON THE SEAT TRACKS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
DRIVER'S SEAT MOVES BACK AND FORTH WHICH CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD, I HAVE SEEN OTHER BMW Z3 WHILE AT A DEALER FOR SERVICE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. YET BMW HAS NOT RECOGNIZED THIS AS A FACTORY DEFECT. *JB
VEHICLE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WILL LAUNCH FORWARD WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
POWER SEAT SWITCH FAILED. YH
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.