1998 BMW Z3

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 BMW Z3, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

• Seats8
• Electrical system6
• Power train4
• Suspension4
• Equipment3
• Seat belts3
• Air bags3
• Structure2
• Exterior lighting2
• Engine and engine cooling2

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

Fatal crashes in the US

From 2020 to 2023, 3 1998 Z3 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 1998 BMW Z3 failed the safety check 0.66% of the time — 61% less often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 77,546 miles.

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Engines

The most common engines in 1998 BMW Z3 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.8 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp) and 1.8 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp).

RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars

In the Netherlands

153 first registered in 1998 are on Dutch roads; 69% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €41,176.

Most common APK defects

• Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect60
• Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde55
• Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen47
• Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm18
• Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)17
• Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht16
• Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld16
• Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse15

Colours

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

1,343 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,016 more were declared off the road (SORN).

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0

MOT test results in Great Britain

In 2023, 2,651 of these cars first registered in 1998 took their annual MOT test. 66% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1998 the figure was 64%.

DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail

In Finland

72 of these cars first registered in 1998 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 174,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.

Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0

In New Zealand

275 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 80% arrived as used imports, 13% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Recalls

No recall campaigns cover the 1998 BMW Z3.

Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words

Service bulletins

What BMW told its dealers about the 1998 BMW Z3: known faults, fixes and updates.

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)