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CarsLore / BMW / Z3 / 2002

2002 BMW Z3

6 owner complaints — #7 of 8 Z3 model years. 0 recalls, 4 service bulletins.

6complaints · 0 crashes, 0 fires
0recalls
4manufacturer bulletins
50,500 mimedian mileage at failure

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 BMW Z3, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

  • Air bags2
  • Steering2
  • Electrical system1
  • Seat belts1
  • Service brakes1
  • Exterior lighting1
  • Electronic stability control (esc)1

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

Compared with other years

’96’98’00’02’046’96’99’026
1996199719981999200020012002

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 2002 BMW Z3 failed the safety check 1.20% of the time — 40% less often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 65,301 miles.

917first inspections
1.20%failed on safety
65,301 mimedian odometer
0.0%0.7%1.4%’96’98’00’021.2%0.0%0.7%1.4%’96’99’021.2%

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

In the Netherlands

31 first registered in 2002 are on Dutch roads; 100% arrived later as imports.

74.2%had an APK defect recorded since June 2022
0.0%logical odometer history
0.0%with a recall still open

Most common APK defects

Colours

Black 45%Grey 29%

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

In the United Kingdom

618 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 684 more were declared off the road (SORN).

618licensed, end of 2025
47%of those still registered are on the road

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, 1,147 of these cars first registered in 2002 took their annual MOT test. 71% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2002 the figure was 58%.

71%passed first time
58%all cars from 2002
78,600 miaverage mileage at the test (all cars 108,300 mi)
Failed onThese carsAll cars from 2002
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12.4%20.8%
Brakes10.5%13.6%
Suspension9.0%15.8%
Visibility7.5%7.7%
Noise, emissions and leaks3.6%6.9%
Tyres3.6%6.0%

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

31 of these cars first registered in 2002 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 137,000 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

139 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register; 83% 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

Fuel consumption

Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 11.0–11.9 L/100 km (about 20–21 mpg US), CO₂ 253–274 g/km.

VariantEngineTransmissionCityHighwayCombinedCO₂ g/km
Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline3.0 L, 6 cyl.M512.79.011.0253
Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline2.5 L, 6 cyl.M513.39.411.5265
Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline2.5 L, 6 cyl.A513.39.611.6267
Z3 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline3.0 L, 6 cyl.A513.59.811.9274

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

No recall campaigns cover the 2002 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 2002 BMW Z3: known faults, fixes and updates.

BulletinSummary
10037702BMW: WHEN AT LOWER SPEEDS OR STOPPING THE ENGINE IDLE DIPS TOO LOW BECAUSE OF A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *RM
10037025BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *RM
10036979BMW: A NEW TECHNICAL PROCESS HAS BEEN CREATED FOR BMW TO IDENTIFY CAUSES OF STEERING COMPLAINTS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF MODELS. *RM
10033130BMW VEHICLES: FUEL LEVEL SENSOR REPAIRS. WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT SIDE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR DUE TO A FAILURE, THE ENTIRE PUMP AND HOUSING OR DELIVERY UNIT (SUCTION JET ASSEMBLY) DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. IN SOME CASES, EPC DOES NOT SHOW THAT THE REPAIR KIT IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY IN THE ILLUSTRATION, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PARTS DESCRIPTION. ALL MODELS. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)