Most common 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster problems
Share of the 19 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW Z3 Roadster complaints by model year
Best Z3 Roadster years: 2001. Compare all years →
What 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster owners say
Body & structure
I heard a creaking from the rear of my car, I put it on jacks to check it out. To my surprise I found extensive damage to the floor pan mainly around the differential mount. The car is claimed to be undrivable by BMW, but yet they will not take full responsibility for the matter. I see it as a safety issue as if I did not check it and continued to drive the cracks and tears in the body metal that exist could have continued even further and LED to an accident or worse. I was estimated at a whopping 5200 dollars which BMW said they would only pay 3000 of. I believe it is a manufacturer defect, so it should be paid in fully by the company, but they will not stand up the their fault. I have at this time no choice but to drive the vehicle in its current state, I am a college student who doesnt have the largest income around so picking 2000 or more dollars out of nowhere is quite impossible. …
1998 Z3 subframe failure. I'm worried my differential or rear end will fail during driving and BMW refuses to fix it. This is a safety concern for everyone on the road. BMW has inspected my car, acknowledged the problem, and blamed the failure on the modifications I made to the car, however, the problem is occurring in a very high number of un-modified Z3 vehicles as well. There is also a class action lawsuit for the same exact problem on e46 models (Z3 is not an e46) and BMW is fixing the e46 but not the Z3. This is a very dangerous situation and someone is going to be killed eventually b/c of this issue.
Air bags
The airbag fault light came on in our 1998 BMW Z3 (with less than 16,000 miles on the odometer), indicating the airbag (or airbags) and seat belt tensioners were no longer functioning. The dealer service representative said this was "a common problem" with this model and told us exactly what most likely cause of the problem prior to any diagnostics'that there was a fault in the seatbelt latch and wiring that caused 'high resistance'. The cost of repairs was $825. A google search shows this same problem is essentially ubiquitous. I searched for 'BMW Z3 airbag light on', and I got nearly 40,000 hits. Looking randomly at some of these hits, I find each contains multiple actual instances of this problem occurring. For example, the first result returned (http://www.automotiveforums.com/t145936-z3_airbag_sensors.html) indicated at least 6 vehicles with this exact same problem. …
Dt: 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster - there was a spontaneous deployment of both driver and passenger side air bags. While driving on a dry rough road the air bags deployed, consumer did not come in contact with anything, and was driving only about 5 MPH when the air bags deployed. Was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to a dealership, and they say that an impact with a pot hole caused air bag deployment. Consumer claimed he did not hit a pot hole hard enough to cause this deployment. The dealership did not check the sensors to see if there was a problem with the air bags. There was no recall on the air bag defect on this model. However there was a recall on air bags in other BMW models.
1998 BMW Z3 Roadster engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 29 / 24 |
| 1.9L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Sports car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Z3 Roadster rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Z3 Roadster at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster?
The body & structure — 7 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frame and members. Next are the air bags (3) and wheels & tires (2).
How many recalls does the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW Z3 Roadster?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001. See the full BMW Z3 Roadster years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 73,000 miles; 23% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.