Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026
New York safety inspections
Share of first inspections failed on safety, by model year. Older cars fail more as miles build up, so compare each year with the average car of the same year. Best against its own year: 2001.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 Z3 | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 Z3 | 19 | 0 |
| 2000 Z3 | 34 | 0 |
| 1999 Z3 | 39 | 2 |
| 1998 Z3 | 30 | 0 |
| 1997 Z3 | 47 | 1 |
| 1996 Z3 | 30 | 1 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Air bags58
- Seats33
- Seat belts33
- Power train27
- Structure22
- Suspension18
- Electrical system15
- Engine and engine cooling12
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 22 Z3 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died, and 21 people died inside them. These are counts, not crash rates: a model with more cars on the road shows up more often, and people killed outside the vehicle are not counted here.
| Model year | Vehicles in fatal crashes | Deaths in the vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 |
| 2000 | 5 | 4 |
| 1999 | 3 | 3 |
| 1998 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997 | 7 | 8 |
| 1996 | 1 | 1 |
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain) · how we count
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 6 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 10.0–11.6 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 12.7 | 9.0 | 11.0 |
| 2001 | Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 12.7 | 9.0 | 11.0 |
| 2000 | Z3 · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.4 | 9.5 | 11.6 |
| 1999 | Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 13.4 | 9.5 | 11.6 |
| 1997 | Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 11.6 | 8.0 | 10.0 |
| 1996 | Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 11.7 | 8.2 | 10.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In New Zealand
1,262 Z3 cars are on the New Zealand register; 82% arrived as used imports.
| Model year | Registered | Sold new in NZ | Used imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| 2002 | 139 | 18 | 116 |
| 2001 | 164 | 18 | 135 |
| 2000 | 166 | 14 | 144 |
| 1999 | 198 | 11 | 178 |
| 1998 | 275 | 35 | 220 |
| 1997 | 309 | 62 | 228 |
| 1996 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
In the Netherlands
2,422 Z3 cars are on Dutch roads; 66% arrived later as imports. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.
| First registered | On the road | Median list price |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 31 | — |
| 2001 | 59 | — |
| 2000 | 75 | — |
| 1999 | 74 | — |
| 1998 | 153 | €41,176 |
| 1997 | 1,153 | — |
| 1996 | 877 | — |
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new
In Finland
415 Z3 cars were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026: 100% petrol, 0% diesel. Mileage is the odometer reading at the last inspection.
| First registered | In use | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 31 | 137,000 km |
| 2001 | 45 | 142,000 km |
| 2000 | 46 | 140,000 km |
| 1999 | 60 | 166,000 km |
| 1998 | 72 | 174,000 km |
| 1997 | 99 | 180,000 km |
| 1996 | 62 | 170,000 km |
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use, 30 Jun 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Road collisions in Great Britain
From 2021 to 2025, 43 Z3 cars were involved in road collisions in Great Britain that injured someone and were reported to the police. 2 of those collisions were fatal and 6 caused serious injuries. As with any count, models with more cars on British roads appear more often.
| Year | Cars in injury collisions | Fatal | Serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data 2021–2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
6,697 Z3 cars were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, by year of manufacture.
| Built | Licensed | Off the road (SORN) |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | 41 | 58 |
| 2002 | 618 | 684 |
| 2001 | 1,053 | 1,283 |
| 2000 | 1,109 | 1,315 |
| 1999 | 1,561 | 2,086 |
| 1998 | 1,343 | 2,016 |
| 1997 | 966 | 1,745 |
| 1996 | 4 | 6 |
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
12,444 Z3 cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 68% passed first time, against 62% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.
| First registered | Tests | Passed first time |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,147 | 71% |
| 2001 | 1,882 | 69% |
| 2000 | 2,018 | 70% |
| 1999 | 2,978 | 69% |
| 1998 | 2,651 | 66% |
| 1997 | 1,768 | 62% |
Why they fail
Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).
| Area | Z3 | All cars, same ages |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.8% | 17.4% |
| Brakes | 11.2% | 12.5% |
| Suspension | 10.5% | 13.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.8% | 7.2% |
| Visibility | 6.7% | 7.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3.8% | 9.5% |
| Tyres | 3.5% | 4.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
New registrations in Europe
7 new BMW Z3 cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2010 and 2020, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2020 the largest markets were Germany (1).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 4 | — |
Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Recalls
3 campaigns cover the Z3.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL MAY CONTAIN RING GEAR BOLTS THAT WERE INCORRECTLY TORQUED DURING ASSEMBLY. THE BOLT OR BOLTS COULD LOOSEN LEADING TO NOISE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE NUT THAT SECURES THE MAIN POSITIVE CABLE TO THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP WAS NOT TIGHTENED PROPERLY, ALLOWING THE CABLE TO LOOSEN OVER TIME. IF THIS OCCURRED, THE CABLE COULD ULTIMATELY LOOSEN TO THE POINT WHERE ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY COULD BE INTERRUPTED.
THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.
NHTSA recalls