Most common 2004 BMW Z4 problems
Share of the 411 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW Z4 complaints by model year
Best Z4 years: 2012, 2015, 2021. Years to avoid: 2011, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. Compare all years →
2004 BMW Z4 recalls (1)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
On certain passenger vehicles, under certain environmental conditions, a vapor lock in the fuel pump could occur causing the engine to stall. If this were to happen, the engine would not be able to be restarted for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Remedy: Dealers will install a resistor in the electrical line powering the fuel pump in order to prevent an occurrence of vapor lock. The recall began May 11, 2004. Owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 BMW Z4:
Sticky Steering
ODI has evaluated the sticky steering condition, which included reviews of complaints and warranty claims, interviews and surveys of owners of complaint vehicles, road tests of complaint vehicles, and a review of BMW's engineering and test data.ODI found the sticky steering condition does not result in a significant steering effort, thus the impact on the driver's ability to control the vehicle does not appear to be…
BMW airbag light illumination
BMW is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. The specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats.
What 2004 BMW Z4 owners say
Steering all 378 →
The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in warm weather, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The contact continued driving with caution to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
I own a 2004 BMW Z4 2.5i I bought it used in 2010 with 22,000 miles. It was on a cool December day when I test drove the car and I loved it. No sign of any steering problems. On a warmer day after driving for a while I suddenly experienced a unexpected binding of the steering and almost binding ended up steering into oncoming traffic. This really scared me and I started investigating. Yes, this is a known safety defect, but BMW doesn't do anything about it. NHTSA, which supposed to protect us from unsafe vehicles, did not do their job either. I am a retired Automotive engineer with Fiat-Iveco and NHTSA made my company recall vehicles for much less. The defect gets worse in hot weather and I don't let my son, friends or anybody else drive the vehicle, as I am afraid that they could get hurt, aside from a liability issue on my side. …
Air bags
After cranking my 2004 Z4 in the drive way, my wife in the car with me at the time, the drivers side airbag went off for no reason. Had just put the car into reverse to back it up and then "pow" sounded like a gunshot going off. I looked over to see my wife panicked as she was stunned that this went off right in her face. It scuffed her arm a bit and got the powder residue in her face. This car has been driven very little, only about 6000 miles a year roughly. This kind of thing should not happen. The car had not even moved it was just put into reverse and then it unexpectantly exploded. I had previously taken the car in to check on a recall they had on some vehicles for the airbag mat in the passenger side, was told that my model was not effected. I think that May have been a lie, and if was not a lie then it clearly should have been included in the recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the ultimate autowerks dealer (located at 2538 savannah hwy, charleston, south carolina 29414; [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the air bag seat mat sensor/ passenger seat detection mat failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V564000 (air bags). The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.
Electrical system
I had this car built and I am the only owner and driver. I have had a personal mechanic take meticulous care of it over the years and the car is stored for approximately 6 months/year because I do not drive it in the snow, and frankly, hardly drive it even when raining. However, it never fails that each year some warning light goes on for no apparent reason. Last fall it was the ABS light and the brake light. My mechanic put the car on the computer, and found no issues. Now again, this spring it started out as not being on, but within 5- 25 minutes (varies each time when I start the car up and drive) those two lights come on. Every year there seems to be new lights that come on for no apparent reason. I haven't driven the car more than a few times before a light comes on. It's cost me so much in diagnostic time. Also another problem is that often the radio doesn't turn on. …
Reoccuring issue: -door locks not functioning by remote or central button -wipers not functioning -trunk release not functioning by remote or button -windows not functioning -lighting of interior not working, to include gauge cluster -top not functioning issues intensify on days of low/higher temperatures. Seems to reset by disconnecting battery and reconnecting after several minutes. Issues points to gm5 module being faulty/failing this is not discovered until you start the car, seems to be a random occurrence, but happens at least once weekly. Sometimes it is multiple times a day.
2004 BMW Z4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Sports car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 BMW Z4 a good car?
Based on 411 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Z4 rates avoid: 16.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Z4 at the same age. It is one of the Z4 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2004 BMW Z4?
The steering — 378 complaints, 92% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the air bags (18) and electrical system (14).
How many recalls does the 2004 BMW Z4 have?
There is 1 recall for the 2004 BMW Z4, the most recent from April 12, 2004 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW Z4?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2015 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. See the full BMW Z4 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 BMW Z4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 47,000 miles; 53% 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.